Dialight lights a path for hydrogen
As the world moves to a decarbonised future, a key challenge for Australia is to ensure the resilience of the nation and its industries by transitioning and diversifying its economy with clean solutions. The Australian Government’s?National Hydrogen Strategy has set a vision for a clean, innovative, safe, and competitive hydrogen industry that benefits all Australians, as it aims to position the local hydrogen industry as a major global player by 2030. Crucial to the National Hydrogen Strategy, is the consideration of future scenarios with broad growth possibilities. The increase in renewable hydrogen, will see a surge in the demand for LED lighting to increase energy efficiency. This growth will necessitate increasing volumes of high-purity hydrogen, which is used in the production of LEDs.
Dialight’s hydrogen hope
As the global leader in industrial and hazardous LED lighting, Dialight sees the pivot to renewable hydrogen as both an opportunity and a duty, to help drive meaningful change in the mining sector. Managing Director and VP of Operations for Dialight Asia Pacific, Malcolm Lee , says hydrogen’s emergence should be led by industry not government. “Unless you have skin in the game like industry will, money can be wasted,” says Mr Lee. “Australia has many attributes that provide a strong competitive advantage in the growing global renewable hydrogen market, including world-class renewable energy resources, established energy infrastructure, and a proud history of exporting energy to international markets,” Mr. Lee added.
In Australia, hydrogen is primarily used as a raw material in industrial processes, and it’s the production of hydrogen from low-carbon energy that makes it a costly exercise. However, as the demand for renewable hydrogen increases and the diversity of its application grows - particularly in sectors like mining where companies are seeking to offset their carbon emissions – renewable hydrogen will ultimately play a lead role in Australia’s future energy mix. Notably, hydrogen’s broader adoption in Australia, is expected to support emission reduction in high-temperature industries like mining, manufacturing, and the transport sector. With costs predicted to decrease over time, hydrogen could ultimately be used to generate power, and potentially substitute LNG.?
LED lighting the way?
For Dialight, LED lighting is inextricably linked with Australia’s hydrogen future. Though LED and traditional lighting consume energy to provide lighting, its LED’s superior energy efficiency which provides an immediate net zero solution to preface the decarbonisation of the grid. For just under 15 years, Dialight has been introducing market-leading environmentally friendly LED lighting solutions to ensure the safety and well-being of people, working in harsh and hazardous industrial sites. Dialight is hydrogen ready for the application of LED fittings in the hydrogen space, with all Dialight IECEx products certified for hydrogen applications.
Dialight continues to invest in innovation and is pushing the boundaries in pursuit of a 100% recyclable fixture – which will revolutionise the way industrial lighting is designed, from assembly to end-of-life – all whilst doing so with the planet in mind. Part of the Dialight approach to net zero, includes conducting Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) evaluations for each major product line - in accordance with the requirements of the EN 15804 and BRE Global Scheme Document SD207 - to identify the carbon footprint of materials used across Dialight’s product suite.?
Switching to net zero
With Dialight committed to being net zero by 2040, Dialight APAC is striving to make this a reality. In step with Dialight’s commitment to Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), the Company’s products are now designed for circularity, carefully considering every aspect of product design, including component materials, performance, production processes, fixture lifespan and end-of-life impact. The sourcing of components from overseas not only complexifies materials planning, but also represents one of Dialight’s biggest carbon emitters – long-range transport related to upstream supply chains. Subsequently, the Company is aggressively localising its supply chains to pivot the Company towards green logistics, a shift which is already underway at Dialight’s manufacturing plant in Penang, Malaysia.
Dialight is also rethinking its energy usage – which is central to its value proposition and its net zero commitment – with the Company now focused on switching from LED lighting to renewable energy. As a global leader in improving sustainability, Dialight continues to identify opportunities which reduce energy use, cost and environmental impact for both the Company and its customers.