Frontline Australasia gets $1.2 million to help save energy
Mark Dreyfus, Federal Member for Isaacs, has announced that Frontline Australasia in Bangholme will receive more than $1.2 million from the Rudd Government’s Climate Ready Program to help their business save on energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The grant will allow Frontline Australasia, in conjunction with the CSIRO, to develop a continuous cold spray pilot plant for the production of seamless titanium alloy tubing and pipe.
The cold spray process uses a high pressure and high velocity gas to apply titanium powder onto a mandrel. The use of cold spray for the direct manufacturing of seamless titanium pipe reduces the energy usage compared to the conventional commercial manufacturing technology by around 30 per cent, which could save thousands of tonnes of greenhouse gases per year.
Mark Dreyfus said it is vital that companies such as Frontline are encouraged to develop greener methods of production.
“It’s great to see a local company like Frontline Australasia committed to the development of a procedure that not only saves money on their energy costs, but significantly reduces carbon emissions."
Kevin Hooper, Chief Executive of Frontline Australasia, was keen to thank the Federal Government and the CSIRO for assisting in developing the technology.
“Frontline sincerely thanks AusIndustry for providing assistance to help commercialise the titanium powder pipe technology,” Kevin Hooper said. “We’d also like to thank the CSIRO, and in particular Dr Mahnaz Jahedi, for developing the background technology to instigate such an exciting development in the manufacture of this pipe.”
