Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to ....Innovation in agricultural sector Green House Gas abatement in NSW. This project aims to develop a land sector greenhouse gas abatement, food production and environmental economics model for NSW. We expect to identify innovation in carbon payment policy and brokerage business models to achieve agricultural GHG abatement, while simultaneously improving sustainability. Expected outcomes include evaluation of the innovations of expert landholders, related businesses and governments to find ways to influence land use decisions. This should provide significant benefits to landholders, governments involved in land management and the public through increased productivity, profitability, biodiversity and ecosystem health in the context of future climate, agricultural commodity and carbon market uncertainties.Read moreRead less
Evaluating potential static liquefaction of tailings to prevent failures. This project aims to reduce risk in the mining industry from failing mine tailings by producing a methodology for predicting the susceptibility of these tailings to static liquefaction. The impact of a mine tailing failure is catastrophic to the downstream community. The project brings together a number of industry partners committed to assisting with verification and adoption of characterisation and designed tools develop ....Evaluating potential static liquefaction of tailings to prevent failures. This project aims to reduce risk in the mining industry from failing mine tailings by producing a methodology for predicting the susceptibility of these tailings to static liquefaction. The impact of a mine tailing failure is catastrophic to the downstream community. The project brings together a number of industry partners committed to assisting with verification and adoption of characterisation and designed tools development in this project. This proposal will integrate results from laboratory element, centrifuge and calibration chamber tests with numerical modelling and in-situ tests to produce a methodology for predicting the susceptibility to static liquefaction.Read moreRead less
When science meets art: an environmental portrait of the Shoalhaven River Valley. This project will involve a collaboration between art and science to create an environmental and cultural portrait of the Shoalhaven River Valley. Environmental readings of river and land quality will be converted into a visual and audio display for both on-site and off-site visitors.
Fish Jenga: metapopulation management for coastal river fish. This project aims to address the escalating threats to coastal freshwater fish from drought, fire, and other disturbances. The project expects to generate new knowledge on contemporary distributions of NSW coastal freshwater fishes, and will develop models of population dynamics to explore the consequences of alternative water management and disturbance scenarios. The expected outcome of the project is to revolutionise management by r ....Fish Jenga: metapopulation management for coastal river fish. This project aims to address the escalating threats to coastal freshwater fish from drought, fire, and other disturbances. The project expects to generate new knowledge on contemporary distributions of NSW coastal freshwater fishes, and will develop models of population dynamics to explore the consequences of alternative water management and disturbance scenarios. The expected outcome of the project is to revolutionise management by replacing the current practice of managing river basins separately, with a framework that accounts for among-basin linkages that are essential for the long-term persistence of fish populations. Significant benefits include more efficient use of water resources and improved conservation outcomes for native fish.Read moreRead less
Synthetic Biology Derived Electroactive Whole Cell Microbial Biosensors. The aim of this project is to develop, using synthetic biology, electrically integrated microbial biosensors for the detection of heavy metals in the environment. Building on our existing technology, this project aims to produce novel ‘biobricks’ capable of electrically integrating electric microbes into real time environmental monitors for heavy metal contaminants. This expansion of synthetic biology, and integration of el ....Synthetic Biology Derived Electroactive Whole Cell Microbial Biosensors. The aim of this project is to develop, using synthetic biology, electrically integrated microbial biosensors for the detection of heavy metals in the environment. Building on our existing technology, this project aims to produce novel ‘biobricks’ capable of electrically integrating electric microbes into real time environmental monitors for heavy metal contaminants. This expansion of synthetic biology, and integration of electric bacteria into sensor systems, will result in a new platform technology that expands our abilities to protect the ecology, agriculture and health of terrestrial, marine and agricultural at risk areas from economic and environmental damage.Read moreRead less
Phosphorous and iron recovery from steelmaking slag for effective recycling. This project aims to understand the principles that control phosphorus (P) partitioning in steel plant slags and to optimise the treatment process to produce P- and Fe-rich streams for recycling. Changing ore grades in Australia, especially increasing P content, are placing a substantial proportion of these ore products at a competitive disadvantage. The project will use an integrated approach to demonstrate, experiment ....Phosphorous and iron recovery from steelmaking slag for effective recycling. This project aims to understand the principles that control phosphorus (P) partitioning in steel plant slags and to optimise the treatment process to produce P- and Fe-rich streams for recycling. Changing ore grades in Australia, especially increasing P content, are placing a substantial proportion of these ore products at a competitive disadvantage. The project will use an integrated approach to demonstrate, experimentally and theoretically, how key properties of slags can be manipulated to enhance partitioning and couple this analysis with fluid dynamics to model the kinetics of the separation process. The expected outcomes of this research are to: first, provide possible solutions to address the increasing P content in Australian iron ores, which could place future ore products at a competitive disadvantage within the global iron ore market; and second, to identify treatment methods and practices which would promote higher recycling rates of steelmaking slag, significantly reducing the volume of material stockpiled or sent to landfill.Read moreRead less
Optimising seed sourcing for effective ecological restoration. This project aims to address the sourcing of native seed for ecological restoration under global change. The great demand for native seed to deliver ecological restoration provides a clear need and responsibility to use this seed as efficiently as possible. This project expects to develop detailed new knowledge that links plant and environmental genomics, plant physiology, seed and soil biology in embedded experiments at post-mining ....Optimising seed sourcing for effective ecological restoration. This project aims to address the sourcing of native seed for ecological restoration under global change. The great demand for native seed to deliver ecological restoration provides a clear need and responsibility to use this seed as efficiently as possible. This project expects to develop detailed new knowledge that links plant and environmental genomics, plant physiology, seed and soil biology in embedded experiments at post-mining rehabilitation sites. Expected outcomes include clear industry guidelines that refine seed sourcing strategies for ecological restoration for current and future climates. This should provide significant benefits for improved ecological restoration outcomes when using native seed today and into the future.Read moreRead less
Differential solidification of steel slag to create a fertiliser co-product. The project aims to develop a process to separate phosphorus from steelmaking slag while the slag is still molten. Changing iron ore grades in Australia, especially increasing phosphorus content, places Australian iron ore products at a competitive disadvantage and attracts a significant financial penalty. The separation process is intended to facilitate recycling of an iron rich stream within the steelworks and product ....Differential solidification of steel slag to create a fertiliser co-product. The project aims to develop a process to separate phosphorus from steelmaking slag while the slag is still molten. Changing iron ore grades in Australia, especially increasing phosphorus content, places Australian iron ore products at a competitive disadvantage and attracts a significant financial penalty. The separation process is intended to facilitate recycling of an iron rich stream within the steelworks and production of a phosphorus rich co-product for agriculture. Benefits are anticipated to include increased utilisation of steel slag, creation of a valuable fertiliser co-product, decreased greenhouse gas emissions, and a reduction in the penalty applied to Australian iron ores.Read moreRead less
Fundamental investigation of the briquetting behaviour of iron ore fines. Handling, including transport and processing, may account for up to 60 per cent of the total delivered price of iron ore. This project will develop an integrated computer model for an improved briquetting process of ore fines with reduced operation cost and less environmental impact, leading to a more competitive and sustainable mineral industry in Australia.
Rechargeable lithium carbon dioxide battery - catalyst design to prototype . This project aims to develop a new concept of rechargeable lithium carbon dioxide batteries and scaled-up prototypes. Such a battery will be first of its kind to show high power comparable to gasoline and superior rechargeability over existing gas-involved batteries, ensuring realistic use for industrial purposes. Expected outcomes include 2-dimensional catalysts made from earth-abundant elements lowering large-scale pr ....Rechargeable lithium carbon dioxide battery - catalyst design to prototype . This project aims to develop a new concept of rechargeable lithium carbon dioxide batteries and scaled-up prototypes. Such a battery will be first of its kind to show high power comparable to gasoline and superior rechargeability over existing gas-involved batteries, ensuring realistic use for industrial purposes. Expected outcomes include 2-dimensional catalysts made from earth-abundant elements lowering large-scale production cost, a novel but reliable working principle based on reversible carbon dioxide/oxalate conversion, and prototypes featuring high specific capacity, large energy density and excellent durability. Via industrial pilot trials, commercial benefits will be fast tracked for energy security and carbon dioxide utilisation.Read moreRead less