Hosted by Weld Australia in collaboration with the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work, the National Manufacturing Summit will leverage the opportunities and overcome the challenges presented by the renewable energy revolution.
The Australian Government has legislated emissions reductions targets of 43% (on 2005 levels) by 2030 and net zero by 2050.
Importantly, these targets will necessitate the construction of new infrastructure on a massive scale. Australia's existing renewable energy generation of 64GW is forecast to grow to over 218GW by 2050. This will comprise 90GW of wind, 39GW of solar, 18.7GW of water, and 35.9GW of battery storage.
For example, it is expected that over 11,000 wind towers will need to be produced, each requiring 500 tonnes of plate steel (for onshore wind towers) or 750 tonnes (for offshore wind towers). The annual production of plate steel in Australia is currently 400kt.
To connect all this new generation to consumers, AEMO estimates that more than 10,000km of new transmission lines and 25,000 transmission towers (at 30 to 60 tonnes of steel per tower) will need to be constructed around the country.
According to Geoff Crittenden (CEO, Weld Australia), "Australia's renewable energy industry will need a raft of additional resources to deliver on these ambitious projects, including: manufacturing and fabrication capacity, raw materials (particularly steel), and contracting and contractor resources. Plus, new technologies will need to be developed and deployed."
"All this the renewable energy infrastructure will require a veritable army of skilled workers, including welders. The renewable energy industry will require huge volumes of fabrication in the coming years. While this represents enormous opportunities for Australia's welding, fabrication and manufacturing industries, there are also enormous challenges ahead."
"While our governments can wish, and hope, and make public pledges about Australia's transition to renewable energy, we simply do not have the sovereign manufacturing capability to make this a reality. The Federal Government and state governments can wish their renewable energy policies into existence, but without a massive investment in local manufacturing, it will not be achievable."
National Manufacturing Summit
Given the sheer volume of challenges and opportunities on the horizon in the renewable energy industry, Weld Australia, in collaboration with the Australia Institute's Centre for Future Work, will host the National Manufacturing Summit at Old Parliament House on 2 and 3 August.
The theme of the Summit is 'Manufacturing the Energy Revolution: Industrial Opportunities from Renewable Energy'. By uniting industry leaders from both the manufacturing and energy sectors, the Summit aims to leverage the opportunities presented by the renewable energy revolution and translate these into action. The Summit will foster collaboration, drive innovation, and facilitate the exchange of knowledge to empower sustainable growth and technological advancements in these interconnected industries. Government ministers and international experts will delve into the challenges and opportunities of the renewable energy revolution.
