Connecting Industry News: July 2024.
Kieran Moran - Connecting Industry.
On a mission to empower the resource and construction supply chain to lead and push beyond their perceived limitations. Connecting Industry Director - LinkedIn Local Manager
Welcome to the Connecting Industry News. Every two months, Connecting Industry will keep you up to date on the latest resource and construction news, information, events, and procurement opportunities in Queensland and Australia.
In this month's Connecting Industry News, learn how to go to events with purpose, QMines lodges mining lease application and Spanish energy giant unveils two huge battery storage projects in Queensland, Sunshine Hydro present their Superhybrid Project, Founder and Managing Director of QEM Limited Gavin Loyden talks about the Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale project, and the Queensland Energy Club comes to Gladstone.
Enjoy the July edition of Connecting Industry News.
Is networking dead or does it just need to be resuscitated?
Are you wasting your time at networking events or are other people wasting your time at networking events? Is networking dead or are you just not using your time to prepare, interact, and follow through?
As many of you know, Connecting Industry hold several networking events including supply chain procurement events, business networking events, and private company functions. What always amazes me is the number of people who attend networking events with no purpose or strategy. Furthermore, I'm also amazed by people who arrive 5 minutes before the start, grab a drink, and sit down without even considering the networking beforehand. This also applies at the end of an event where some delegates leave immediately without engaging current and prospective acquaintances.
If this describes you, why did you pay the fee, or join as a member, and take time to attend the event if you weren't going to be more systematic and disciplined about it?
Now, consider another approach to that same scenario. Groups generally plan and publicise events well in advance. Hence, you devise a master list of upcoming events and prioritise your attendance by which are more strategic to your desired outcomes. You prioritise the organisations most relevant to your personal and professional goals and objectives, based on your due diligence in conversations with trusted friends/mentors. You understand their formats, which offer productive and often quality content and finally, you pay and register in advance and protect the commitment on your calendar from possible conflicts.
Two weeks to a month in advance of the event, you research the speaker’s point of view and the subject matter of the presentation or panel discussion so you can arm yourself with insightful perspectives and a handful of compelling questions. Next, you invite a handful of other attendees who you think would appreciate the event. Most events have the name badges at the registration table and some even publish them in advance. Having identified three to five people you would like to meet or get to know better from a previous interaction, you arrive early and proactively seek them out. When you meet someone who is not as engaging or relevant to what you do, you politely disengage - something most people can't do very effectively!
Time and intellect are your two most valuable assets; you can't afford to waste either. You must be disciplined enough to move on if a conversation is not interesting or productive. Most people get little value from small talk. Instead, ask more interesting questions to engage, a strategy bound to make you stand out. I would much rather attend an event and get to know four or five dynamic, intelligent, interesting people with whom I can follow up afterwards rather than “work the room” and collect a handful of primarily irrelevant business cards. Let me save you the time and aggravation: you can get on LinkedIn and get the same value as a stack of business cards. But if you engage others in meaningful discussions, carefully listen to the content, and then have a systematic process to follow through with attendees afterward, you will have used your time much more effectively.
Attending events becomes much more relevant if you have thought about your goals, strategies, and tactics in advance and are intentional about your presence. When you approach a networking event with purpose, it can be a breath of fresh air where they become alive with opportunities for growth not just for your business but for your own personal goals as well.
Kieran Moran - Connecting Industry Pty Ltd Managing Director.
Industry News Briefs.
Full steam ahead for South Walker Creek upgrades.
Stanmore Resources is on track to produce first coal next month from the $48 million Y-South box cut project at its South Walker Creek mine.
Y-South will give the company access to about 13Mt of low-strip-ratio and high-yielding run-of-mine coal adjacent to the Bowen Basin site’s coal handling and preparation plant (CHPP).
In its latest quarterly report, the company said all three expansion fleets of excavators and trucks were fully operational at Y-South by the end of June.
Stanmore have indicated the South Walker Creek mine expansion infrastructure design project remains on target to release construction packages to market in 3Q 2024, commencing construction thereafter in 2025.
QMines lodges mining lease application.
QMines Limited (ASX:QML) is making headway with the approvals process to bring the Mount Chalmers copper and gold project online.
The company said it had completed the pre-lodgement of the mining lease application, with the Department of Resources (Queensland) satisfied that the formal mining lease application could be made.
“The submission of a mining lease application is a very exciting development for the company,” executive chairman Andrew Sparke said.
The prefeasibility study showed Mount Chalmers copper and gold project, located 17km Northeast of Rockhampton, to be a technically and financially robust copper project able to support a stand-alone 1Mtpa process plant and mine life of more than 10 years.
Spanish energy giant unveils two huge battery storage projects in Queensland.
Spanish energy giant Iberdrola has revealed two new battery storage projects in Australia – its biggest yet in the country – located in Gin Gin project near Bundaberg in Queensland and Kingswood project in New South Wales.
The new batteries are a 250 megawatt (MW)/ 500 megawatt hour (MWh) for Gin Gin although its EPBC application describes it only as a 500 MW project – and the 270 MW, 1,080 MWh Kingswood project.
To date, Iberdrola’s non-gas firming portfolio has been on the smaller side, making up just a fraction of the company’s 2.4 GW of installed renewables in Australia.
If the Gin Gin battery project is approved, Iberdrola wants to start building in 2025 and have it operational in late 2026.?The Kingswood battery project was originally proposed to be built in two 250 MW stages with construction expected in late 2025 and operations to start in 2026.
Solar farm, huge battery and up to 1,000 sheep get federal green tick for next to coal plant.
Plans to build a huge solar and battery project next door to Queensland’s troubled Callide coal fired power station have been waved through the federal environmental approvals process, clearing the way for development.
The project, which also intends to graze as many as 1,000 sheep in among the solar panels, is being developed by Edify Energy and has already secured approval from the Banan Shire Council.
Its application to the EPBC, Edify says the solar and battery location next to the coal plant – part of which is slated for retirement in 2028 – will maximise their ability to export renewable energy into the power system inland from Gladstone.
The Callide solar farm is proposed at 200 MW, accompanied by a four-hour battery sized at 200 MW and 800 MWh. It would be located around 7 km north east of Biloela and next to the existing Callide coal plant so it can “maximise its access” to the grid.
BayWa r.e. proposes Gladstone BESS development.
Global renewable energy developer BayWa r.e. proposes to establish a 200MW/800MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) about 12km south of Gladstone.
The Hughes Road BESS requires a development footprint of 3.9ha including the area for the BESS, the grid connection to the adjoining Powerlink substation and site access from Gladstone-Benaraby Rd.
Located in the Central Queensland Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), BayWa r.e. says the project has the potential to contribute to the firming of the grid by adding storage capacity to the network.
Construction of the BayWa r.e. Global Battery Energy Storage System project is expected to be undertaken over a 12-month period and operate for a period of 15-20 years.
Plans revealed for solar farm at Bororen.
Plans were recently lodged with Gladstone Regional Council for a new solar farm at Bororen.
According to the planning document, lodged on behalf of Red Hill Renewable Energy Pty Ltd, the solar farm is proposed to be built on Red Hill Rd.The solar farm is to be constructed on a parcel of land about 1277 hectares in size it would use either fixed or tracker PV panels of up to 900MW (DC) of generation capacity.
According to the document the solar farm would also include ancillary infrastructure such as inverter stations, substations, operational equipment, staff amenities and lightning protection.
The above industry News Briefs were sourced from the following publications: Industry Queensland, Renew Economy, and the Gladstone Observer.
Connecting Industry Podcast.
Have you listened to the Connecting Industry Podcast with Gavin Loyden, Founder and Managing Director of QEM Limited?
Gavin is responsible for QEM’s capitalisation, exploration program and development of QEM’s Julie Creek vanadium and oil shale project.?The Julia Creek vanadium and oil shale project is a unique world class resource with the potential to utilise and deliver innovative and sustainable energy solutions, through the production of energy fuels and vanadium pentoxide. Prior to founding QEM, Gavin assisted a range of companies from early stage development through to international stock market listings. He has over a decade of experience in the mining industry and extensive experience in the structuring of capital raising proposals for both private and public companies, executive selection, and Corporate Governance.
To listen to Gavin's story and others working in the resource and construction sector, connect here.
Industry Events.
Connecting Industry Luncheon Series.
Have you registered to attend the next Connecting Industry Luncheon with Sunshine Hydro?
Held on Wednesday, August 28, the Connecting Industry Luncheon feature Sunshine Hydro, a company who are developing the Superhybrid Project, a pumped hydro with green hydrogen project being developed in three stages.
Stage One in Gladstone is a 3MW/36Mwh battery and electrolysers. Stage Two in Miriam Vale is a 60MW/800MWh vanadium battery with electrolysers; and Stage Three, the final stage, is a 600MW Pumped Hydro with 300 MW electrolyers at Colliseum/Miriam Vale. The Superhybrid Project is the company’s flagship project, but they are also planning a 300MW pumped hydro project in northern NSW near the state interconnector and are negotiating over land near Gladstone for a 600-800 MW project dubbed Juliette which is co-located with a wind farm. To learn more and to register, connect here: Connecting Industry Luncheon: Sunshine Hydro
The Queensland Energy Club.
The Queensland Energy Club is excited to welcome key note speaker, Brett Wickham, Managing Director ACCIONA Energía, on Wednesday 21 August 2024, at the Gladstone Entertainment Convention Centre (GECC).
Brett will discuss how ACCIONA Energía’s Aldoga Solar Farm will help to realise the Gladstone State Development Area, catalysing a whole-of-supply chain renewable energy ecosystem in the region. The address will outline how the Aldoga development stands as a compelling demonstration of the renewable energy diversification and transition in action, both for Queensland and Australia. Seats are limited. To book, connect here.
BBMC May 2024 Networking Luncheon.
The Bowen Basin Mining Club's Networking Luncheon Series 4th event in 2024 will be held in Rockhampton.
This event will feature keynote presentations from –
Established in 2010, the Bowen Basin Mining Club (BBMC) brings bi-monthly networking luncheons to regional Queensland towns with a Bowen Basin connection. These luncheons are designed to open the pipeline of communication between mine sites, suppliers and innovators in the industry.
Connecting Industry Talent.
Job of the Month.
With multiple projects underway, Connecting Industry Talent are looking for experienced an Electrical Engineer. Based in Regional Queensland, work with a multi-disciplinary team - committed to delivering cost-efficient, practical solutions across commercial, mining and industrial sectors. If you would like to join an innovative firm that will continually trains and upskills their team and where your professional growth is a priority, connect here now.
Connecting Industry Talent specialise in helping businesses that operate in regional areas. We pro-actively find and engage highly skilled people in “hard to fill” roles that require high-calibre skills and experience. To advance your career or find your next candidate, connect here now.
LinkedIn Local Events.
Have you registered for the next LinkedIn Local Gladstone or Rockhampton yet? LinkedIn Local events are a business meetup concept with a difference. It allows you to connect and engage with your local business networks in central Queensland and you don't have to be on LinkedIn to attend.
LinkedIn Local events allow people like you to connect with like-minded people in business who want to create meaningful interactions and contacts that will be valuable in the future.
So come along to this free 'no-pitch' event and network over some nibbles and drinks in a great atmosphere and just chat and enjoy and make some new business friends and connections. Nibbles (canapes') supplied. LinkedIn Local events are free to attend, and you do not have to be on LinkedIn.
Corporate Communications.
Whether it’s business or strategic media, communications and stakeholder planning, an annual report, or even a capability statement or keynote speech, Connecting Industry Communications knows how to craft the message that you need to deliver.
We listen, ask questions, drill down to the key messages, assess the target audiences, interpret and examine the opportunities and pitfalls. We draft, then redraft, until your business narrative is as powerful and authentic as it can be.
Across the gamut of corporate and industry communications, Connecting Industry Communications functions as an extension of the executive team, providing positive input and working collaboratively while at the same time remaining at arm’s length to offer objective, independent advice.
Many businesses lack the training or time to communicate effectively. Connecting Industry Communications can quickly sort out seemingly complex communications issues and find solutions that are succinct, easy to understand and easy to implement.
Connecting Industry is passionate about connecting your business to the resource and construction industry via our three tiers of professional services – Events, Talent, and Communications. To find out more about Connecting Industry, including our events, recruitment / talent services, podcasts, and communications / stakeholder engagement initiatives, email us at [email protected] or phone on 0438 146 819.