How can Australia achieve its emissions reduction targets without significant economic disruption? Through innovation. And at the core of global industrial innovation is one material – graphene.
Graphene is considered to be the key enabling material of the 4th industrial revolution. Other nations and regions have recognised this.
- Europe’s Graphene Flagship project is a $1 billion,10-year research program based at Sweden’s Chalmers University.
- Britain’s investment in graphene includes a $500 million research facility at the University of Manchester, and a $400 million investment through the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials Research.
- South Korea has committed $47 million to support research and development into graphene commercialisation pathways.
- Singapore is investing $100 million in research partnerships through the National University of Singapore.
Australia’s graphene-enabled emissions reduction innovations are stunning on a world scale.
Here are 3 examples:
- Graphene-enhanced coolant – recent Australian tests conclusively demonstrated a reduction in building air conditioning systems power requirements of 30% through the use of graphene-enhanced fluids and paints. The impacts of mandating graphene-enhanced paints for commercial and retail buildings could obviate peak pressure on energy grids with immediate effect. (IEA states air conditioning power demands up to 50% of peak power supply).
- Graphene-enhanced lubricants and fuels – recent tests in Malaysia using Australian-made graphene demonstrated an increase in fuel efficiency of up to 10%.
- Graphene-enhanced batteries – Aluminium-ion batteries are under development at UQ showing double the battery life of lithium-ion with a charge time of just 6 minutes.
Investment is an imperative
The world is distracted by the COVID-19 crisis right now, but as we emerge from it the real opportunity lies in supporting the hundreds of well-progressed innovations currently being explored across Australia by our world-leading materials engineers.
The Australian Graphene Industry Association (AGIA), brings together government, academia and investors with research and commercialisation efforts that are both globally relevant and connected.
The AGIA calls for government attention
The AGIA acknowledges the support of the Victorian Government over recent years. It is this kind of support that will lead to Victoria being a leader in the advanced materials sector.
But Australia and all its States can reap the stunning benefits of joining other leading and emerging economies to support innovation through the commercialisation of graphene-enhanced or enabled products, thereby leveraging the most important materials innovation in decades.
Will Australia lead? Or will it sit on the sidelines while other nations take our rightful place and benefit from the thousands of jobs and billions in investment graphene will create?
The AGIA calls on Federal and State governments not to miss this vital opportunity. Through the AGIA, the opportunity exists to directly support some of this country’s leading innovators.
For more information on this article, please contact gm@graphene.org.au.
