Australia's Flagships | Green Energy News

October 26, 2003 – Vol.8 No.31

AUSTRALIA’S FLAGSHIPS.

Australia has launched a series of research projects meant for the betterment of the country’s economy and its society. Two of the six projects are related to clean, more efficient energy, though CSIRO, administrator of the programs it calls National Research Flagships, credits only one directly.

The first, Energy Transformed Research Flagship - its launch coinciding with the opening of the new CSIRO Energy Centre - is geared to the possibility of building a hydrogen economy. But it also looks at point-of-use power generation, traffic management and urban transport in the path to hydrogen.

Another Flagship - Light-Metals - aims to improve the aluminum, magnesium and titanium industries already operating in the country. Yet CSIRO only mentions in passing the significant energy savings involved in using light-metals in transportation products. The organization, too, makes no mention of the use of aluminum and magnesium as clean fuel.

Both Flagships look exciting, and have energy in common. The other Flagships are Preventive Health, Healthy Country, Agrifood, and Wealth from Oceans. The program outline from Wealth from Oceans doesn’t mention the possibility of wealth from ocean energy. Oh, well. Visit CSIRO at http://www.csiro.au/ .