Michael Hallam

I’ve been wondering recently why the deep tech conversation hasn’t explored circular economy or resource recovery success stories yet..? To continue developing the circular economy in Australia, the deep tech barrier is posing significant issues nationally. Nearly every solar panel recycler I’ve spoken too, have experienced the following challenges; ⚡️rising plant operations costs ♻️inconsistent buyers, with inconsistent commodity prices 🌏access to recovery plant equipment and repair parts is increasing and challenging 💡business models don’t have multiple revenue streams and multiple production outflow streams 🚀deep tech r&d investment model has yet to invest in the space with confidence in Australia, while the USA has a number of success stories 💰raising funding via a VC fund partner that will go all way with you, a 7+ year journey As we watch the offshore wind sector gear up, the timeline could be similar to nail the resource recovery sector publicly and privately… of course a small part of the overall circular economy… #circulareconomy #circulardesign #circularity #regenerativedesign #hcd #socialinnovation #cleaneconomy #bioeconomy Green Lab Futures https://lnkd.in/grMPq439

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Australia's energy sector is at a pivotal juncture with the game-changing ANIEIP project. This initiative targets the enhancement of coal's inherent properties from the Galilee and Bowen Basins, aiming to elevate global energy security. The ANIEIP 100 Year Plan forecasts a significant milestone with blue hydrogen exports surpassing LNG exports by 2035, solidifying Australia's role as a major energy market player. The ANIEP Corridor, stretching from Townsville to Pt Hedland, envisions a potential agro-industrial zone powered by nuclear energy. By implementing water conservation pipelines to cultivate new agro industries in mineral-rich areas, the plan sets the stage for a shift towards fusion energy in the future. Technological advancements are paving the way for delivering hydrogen at $2/kg, with the possibility of further cost reductions below $1.00/kg aided by tax credits. Strategic studies conducted by key allies in the US, Japan, South Korea, and China are poised to facilitate large-scale blue hydrogen exploitation, offering a sustainable solution for heavy transportation. This shift aligns harmoniously with the ANIEP Plan's objective of coal refinement, promising a cleaner future for vehicular transportation while utilizing coal's carbonaceous by-products. Australia's journey towards energy sustainability holds immense promise with the ANIEIP project leading the way, awaiting the transition from politics to pragmatism.

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Yet another potential disaster for the Australian energy transition, with regulators struggling to deal ex-post, distributors and retailers opting for euphemism over transparency, renewables and smart meters being blamed (rather than lauded) and most media summarising the situation as “consumer angst”. Very saddened to witness another huge flaw in the national energy market design so soon after the gas scam became so blantantly visible yet unfixable. When will we look at what an amazing opportunity our energy sector could and should be for the national economy and every household? Thanks Daniel Mercer https://lnkd.in/gsZ3rxZE

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I recently had the opportunity to be interviewed by The Australian Financial Review for their special report on clean energy, and it sparked some deep reflections on where we stand with solar panel recycling in Australia. https://lnkd.in/gTcES96A One of the last questions I was asked was, "Do you think the appetite for solar panels will continue to grow in Australia, especially in light of the news about solar owners facing new charges for sending excess power? Will this impact consumers' investment in solar?" ⏲ Let’s be clear—now is the best time for solar. It remains the most affordable, accessible, and cleanest source of electricity. More importantly, public confidence is strong. Everyone is enjoying lower electricity bills and feeling good about helping Australia decarbonise, even if it’s just a little contribution. 🌳 To put it in perspective: A typical 6.6kW rooftop solar system can reduce CO₂ emissions by around 3.4 tonnes annually—equivalent to planting approximately 113 trees, and solar panels can last up to 25 years. (PS: If you're a student in my LCA class, you should already know this!) 📈 I spent quite some time developing the best forecast model to predict solar panel waste volume in Australia, and it's making waves. Even UNSW’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor Merlin Crossley referenced my work in a recent interview. 🔍 But here's my concern: Media often paints solar waste with terms like "waste crisis" and "waste boom"—and it’s harmful. Such language creates the misconception that adopting solar today just means creating a bigger problem tomorrow. That’s misleading, and it’s dangerous for the future of renewable energy. 💡 Here’s the truth: Solar panel end-of-life is not an unsolvable problem—it is solvable. We are not facing a "waste boom." We are actively working towards a circular economy for PV. Yes, the solution is still being realised, but we are moving forward, repurposing old panels and materials to create a self-sustaining, resilient industry. This is possible, and it’s happening. 💰 But we need more—more investment, more government support, more industry buy-in. Together, we can accelerate this transition and make it a reality faster. ♻ What will that look like? In the future, we won’t need to mine new materials to make solar panels—we’ll source everything from the "waste panel resource reservoir." Imagine a solar industry that completely sustains itself. 📢 The main takeaway: Solar is not the problem—it’s the solution. Don’t hate solar panels—they are incredible!  ##CleanEnergy #CircularEconomy #SolarRecycling #Sustainability

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The lack of proper #fauna and #flora studies and inadequate #community #engagement has led to massive opposition against large-scale renewable projects (83% are against these projects in the Have YourSay survey: https://lnkd.in/gp_SCbzC). It should not come as a surprise because altering the #environment and #lifestyle of communities and #FirstNations peoples, and interfering with #nature inevitably triggers backlash. When projects of such magnitude are proposed without thorough consideration of their impact on local #ecosystems and without involving the affected communities in decision-making processes, it disrupts established ways of life. It raises valid concerns about #environmental degradation and loss of #cultural #heritage. This resistance reflects an instinct to protect the #environment and #traditions, especially when they feel their interests and voices are not adequately represented or respected in the planning and implementation of these projects. To address these challenges, The Community Engagement Review led by Andrew Dyer made recommendations including establishing independent rating schemes for #developers, implementing clearer project zoning, and prioritizing genuine community benefit sharing and communication programs, underscoring the crucial role of building trust and integrating community engagement efforts into project development. Coalition for Conservation Inc. Australian Wildlife Conservancy UN Biodiversity The Biodiversity and Climate Change Network (BCCN). United Nations Steven Nowakowski Animals Australia Bush Heritage Australia Landcare Australia American Conservation Coalition Nature Conservation Council NSW Ben Goldsmith

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FPR Energy, a new venture from CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, has secured $15 million in seed funding to commercialise next generation solar thermal technology. #SolarThermal #RenewableInnovation #CSIRO #EnergyFuture

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This week the WA Government approved extending the life of the North West Shelf (NWS) LNG plant to 2070, well beyond the same government's 2050 target to reach net zero. The NWS will emit more than 10 times Australia’s annual emissions. Seeking to justify the approval, the WA Premier argued that expanding the use of gas would be good, not just for WA, but the whole global environment. He said: “We are trying to save the planet, not just trying to save Western Australia …We know that gas is going to play an important role in helping other countries to get out of coal.” Does this claim, by the premier and backed by industry, that gas is a necessary transition fuel for Australia and our Asian neighbours bear scrutiny? The CSIRO has published a comprehensive report to examine this question. Despite it been commissioned by Woodside, the report shows, that expanding Australian gas exports risks undermining the transition to clean energy in our region. In direct opposition to the assertions of the Premier, the CSIRO report shows that more WA gas will delay Asia’s shift to cleaner renewable energy, as gas is more likely to displace new renewable energy than coal.  Gas projects like the NWS will not help our neighbours lower their emissions, but instead, keep them hooked on fossil fuels for longer. The inconvenient truth is that the assertion from a decade ago that gas is a transition fuel no longer stacks up. The evidence today is that gas needs to be transitioned out and replaced by cheaper renewables as quickly as possible. You can read the report here: https://lnkd.in/gf2gG4Q7

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The Queensland Government is giving a massive boost to renewables with $92M budgeted for investment for CleanCo Queensland to progress the development of up to 2.3 GW of new wind and solar projects across Central Queensland.  The budget also includes a $266.3M investment in major renewable energy projects and a $107.3B capital program for infrastructure statewide. Projects that will benefit include the Boulder Creek WF, the Northern Land Expansion Project at Gladstone Port and upgrading of the Rockhampton–Yeppoon Road. https://lnkd.in/gxYVeMc3 #renewableenergy #renewables #renewablepower #renewablenergy #greenenergy #windenergy #windpower #windfarms #windindustry #onshorewind #offshorewind #solarenergy #solar #solarpower #solarindustry #solarprojects #bess #batterystorage #bigbattery #energystorage #pumpedstorage #pumpedhydro #hydropower #greenenergy #greenhydrogen #hydrogeneconomy #ammonia #energygrid #transmission #energytransmission

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The latest assessment by the CSIRO on the predictions of LCOE for 2030. Levelised Cost Of Electricity In terms of 2021, large-scale solar PV led the pack for lowest levelised cost of electricity (LCOE). LCOE is total cost of ownership throughout a power plant’s service life (including the current cost of construction at the time of calculation) divided by energy production. The following graph shows estimated LCOE in 2030. Again, the red arrow indicates solar PV (stand-alone) and the added red dotted line indicates wind and solar combined along with integration costs such as storage in four scenarios – 60% variable renewable energy (VRE) share, 70%, 80% and 90%1 VRE respectively. Side note: where hydrogen sits is interesting. Just on SMR tech – the CSIRO and Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) don’t see any local projects happening this decade “given the technology’s commercial immaturity and high cost”. Well, there’s that and the fact construction and operation of nuclear power stations has been prohibited in Australia since 1998. That could of course change – but even if this unlikely event was to occur soon, SMR *and* conventional nuclear energy is simply too expensive. https://lnkd.in/giG3Pm5b #renewables #energytransition #decarbonisation #lcoe

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An Overview of Victoria's Gas Substitution Roadmap: This roadmap is a strategic plan for achieving net zero emissions, reducing energy costs, and ensuring reliability. It focuses on energy efficiency, electrification, renewable hydrogen, and biomethane to cut carbon emissions and encourage the shift away from fossil gas. The roadmap anticipates significant savings for new households, potentially reducing annual energy bills by up to $1,000, and addresses public health concerns associated with indoor gas use. The Victorian government is also investing in workforce training to support the installation of energy-efficient electric appliances, aiming to meet its emissions reduction targets of 75-80% by 2035 and achieve net zero by 2045 With a third of the Victorian population using gas, the roadmap acknowledges its significant role in the state's emissions and aims to transition towards renewable energy. Key reforms include rapid electrification for homes and businesses, increased energy efficiency standards, and support for the renewable gas sector. The roadmap involves extensive stakeholder consultation to balance the transition with maintaining reliable energy supplies. #VictorianEnergyTransition #NetZeroVictoria #RenewableEnergy #GasSubstitution #EnergyEfficiency #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #ElectricHomes #GreenBuilding #ClimateAction #RenewableHydrogen #Biomethane #ZeroEmissions #SUHO #ESD #SustainableDesign

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For Australian readers there is a lesson to be taken from what is happening in NZ. Australia is quite a different energy system to NZ and both are complicated, however both are reliant, at least for the short to medium term, on gas supplies. If we want to avoid demand destruction (large scale reduction in manufacturing), then we need to make sure there is sufficient gas available over the next 20 -30 years as we transition away from fossil fuels.

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The electrification of industrial processes and a switch from coal-powered generation to renewables require new renewable generation capacity exceeding Australia’s current grid capacity. The ‘Coordinated action scenario’ shows that around 600TWh per year of electricity will be needed by 2050, if Australia is to limit warming to 1.5°C. Expanding into new green export markets while remaining within a 1.5°C carbon budget will require 1450TWh per year – an almost six-fold increase in Australia’s current electricity generation. Meeting this demand with renewable electricity will require renewable generation developments at unprecedented, multi-gigawatt scales. Industry looking to source new renewable capacity will either need to vertically integrate or find an electricity supplier large enough to offer a multi-gigawatt portfolio of renewable and storage capacity. Currently, there is a lack of electricity suppliers who could fulfill this scale of contracting in Australia. In addition, there may be supply chain considerations to ensure sufficient solar panels, wind turbines and other supporting grid infrastructure are available. Developing the scale of renewable energy projects needed could require investment of up to A$440 billion, including A$220 billion for generation and A$50 billion for storage. Developers will require an offtaker in order to finance the multi-gigawatt scale developments needed for the transition. Furthermore, grid infrastructure to support the connection of new multi-gigawatt scale renewable energy developments will be vital. The existing grid was designed to connect coal and gas resources and is therefore not properly equipped for renewable resources. Major new transmission lines will be required to connect to new renewable energy developments. These will likely face social licence issues and require substantial investment. The Australian Industry ETI modelling shows that transmission costs become a larger share of energy system costs as ambition for climate action increases, as more distant renewable energy resources are needed to keep pace with the transition. In the ‘Coordinated action scenario’, 23 per cent of cumulative electricity system expenditure (between 2020 and 2050) arises from transmission (A$130 billion), contrasted against 13 per cent in the ‘Incremental scenario’ (A$62 billion). The scale of investment needed in transmission infrastructure to enable Australia to expand into new green export markets, as examined by the ‘Coordinated action with exports sensitivity’, could be as high as A$270 billion by 2050. https://lnkd.in/gT85hSwb

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Queensland needs a series of battery storage facilities to fascilitate the development of our incredible renewable resources. This is a well considered argument for why nuclear will not work for us.

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