Shannon is known for the establishment of multiple hatted Melbourne fine diner Vue de monde. And as a regular MasterChef guest judge. In a short video he shows how the new all-electric smart #3 is the perfect premium drive to complement his completely self-powered home.

With a rooftop solar array, and a full kitchen garden on the same roof top, the house is not only fully power self-sufficient but also provides much of the produce used in Shannon’s culinary creations. The video can be viewed on the LSH Auto Australia LinkedIn page

The smart #3 fits perfectly with the Byron lifestyle. It’s 455km range allows him to travel around the Northern Rivers region’s stunning coast and hinterland. Sourcing ingredients for his culinary creations from the many high-quality producers. Combining svelte coupe styling with the practicality of a 5-door hatch. smart #3 fits right into the trendsetting scene at ‘Byron’.

Shannon Bennett and LSH Auto/smart are also working together. To provide LSH Auto customers with preferential access to, and content from, his new venture, Culinary Wonderland.

An online harnessing of some of the world’s best culinary minds to

• deliver recipes,
• cooking classes,
• gourmet guidance in great travel destinations and
• entrée to the hottest foodie spots.

smart #3

The EV is part of the new smart, all-electric, range of German-designed, premium, medium SUV crossovers and SUV Coupe crossovers.  LSH Auto Australia delivered the reborn smart range, launched late last year. At smart experience centres located within their standard-setting retail outlets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

The post Shannon Bennett adds a smart #3 to his off the grid lifestyle appeared first on Eco Car Guide.

ASX listed company, Latrobe Magnesium (LMG), has produced the first batch of magnesium oxide at its demonstration plant in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, marking a significant step towards the scaling up of its operations.

Latrobe Magnesium pioneering a patented hydrometallurgical extraction process

LMG is pioneering a patented hydrometallurgical extraction process that converts almost 100% ash – a byproduct of coal-fired power stations – and ferro nickel slag into valuable saleable products like magnesium metal, Supplementary Cementitious Material (SCM), silica, char, iron oxide, and calcium carbonate. One power station alone can supply LMG with enough ash to meet production needs for over 30 years.

Magnesium metal, a critical mineral, is lighter yet stronger than both steel and aluminium, making it an ideal for use in automotive, battery, die casting, electronics, and bioabsorbable stent applications.

“LMG’s ambitious plans required a scalable process and a plantwide control system capable of delivering a truly connected enterprise,” said Anthony Wong, regional director, South Pacific, Rockwell Automation.

Rockwell Automation’s Connected Enterprise^® technology integrates plant-level and enterprise networks, securely connecting people, processes, and technologies. This approach leverages smart manufacturing and machine learning to enhance decision-making and streamline connectivity.

Digital transformation from a single point of control Latrobe Magnesium

After evaluating potential solutions, LMG selected Rockwell Automation’s PlantPAx^® Distributed Control System (DCS), combined with its Centreline Motor Control System (MCC).

“PlantPAx allows LMG to make faster, more informed process control decisions from a single point of control. The system seamlessly connects and records data, further optimising operations,” said Wong.

The magnesium market is expected to double by 2030.  With the growing demand for lightweight vehicles, and as the only new western producer coming onstream.  LMG is positioned to meet this demand, with plans to expand operations.

Following successful production at the 1,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) demonstration plant, LMG plans to build a 10,000 tpa plant in the Latrobe Valley, and has completed a Pre-Feasibility Study (PFS) for a 100,000 tpa international mega plant in Samalaju Industrial Park, in the state of Sarawak, Malaysia.

“PlantPAx is designed with scalable, modular architecture that simplifies integration, accelerates time to market, and offers advanced scalable system capabilities like Human-Machine Interfaces (HMI), batch management and data collection.”

“Recent updates to PlantPAx align with digital transformation strategies, enhancing productivity and profitability whilst minimising operational risk.”

“LMG process is groundbreaking. Current magnesium production methods are more than 60% more carbon emission intensive, but this new process eliminates waste products and tailings, offering a more sustainable solution.”

“Given LMG focus on reducing their carbon footprint, Rockwell’s Centreline low-voltage MCCs were a perfect fit. Offering a smaller footprint and, energy-efficient industrial motor control solutions.”

A partnership built on service

Rockwell Automation’s ability to meet tight deadlines and provide transparent timeframes earned the trust of LMG, and the partnership has continued to expand.

“Rockwell’s support to help us meet our production goals has been outstanding. They have gone above and beyond to find solutions and make sure everything works,” said LMG Chief Operating Officer, Ronan Gillen.

“We had a few challenges along the way, which is normal when commissioning a new and novel process. Particularly with integrating equipment suppliers into the overall connected solution we wanted. The Rockwell team went above and beyond to incorporate this equipment and control required into the overall plant control system,” he added.

“We also sourced equipment from overseas that came without any code whatsoever. And the Rockwell team came in and wrote software for it. So that it could be part of the overall connected solution, and our commissioning could proceed. We’ve been extremely impressed with their willingness to solve problems.”

“We are incredibly proud of our future low CO₂ process. It can address potentially hazardous waste stockpiles and produce sustainable valuable products with downstream environmental benefits. Whilst providing a critical mineral to the world. We see Rockwell as an important strategic partner as we continue to scale up production.”

About Rockwell Automation

Rockwell Automation, Inc. (NYSE: ROK), is a global leader in industrial automation and digital transformation. We connect the imaginations of people with the potential of technology. To expand what is humanly possible, making the world more productive and more sustainable. Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Rockwell Automation employs approximately 29,000 problem solvers. Dedicated to our customers in more than 100 countries. To learn more about how we are bringing the Connected Enterprise to life across industrial enterprises, visit www.rockwellautomation.com.

The post Latrobe Magnesium – Transforming a waste resource into sustainable materials appeared first on Eco Car Guide.

• Kia global partner, The Ocean Cleanup, sets a new record for the amount of plastic reclaimed from the world’s oceans
• 55 tons of ocean plastic delivered to Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada
• Plastics will be recycled; proportion to be used in future Kia models under multi-year partnership
• Catch delivered to shore from 1.6-million-square kilometre Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP) by The Ocean Cleanup’s System 002
• The Ocean Cleanup announces scale-up to largest-ever System 03 in ongoing mission to remove 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040
• Initiative aligns with Kia’s mission to become a sustainable mobility solutions provider
• Kia remains committed to more than 20% increase in plastic reuse by 2030 and achievement of carbon neutrality by 2045

Kia and Ocean Cleanup

The Ocean Cleanup, the international non-profit project with the mission of ridding the oceans of plastic, landed its plastic catch at Victoria, Vancouver Island, Canada. The record catch was removed from the Pacific Ocean using The Ocean Cleanup’s System 002 extraction technology following a lengthy voyage through the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (GPGP). The GPGP is the world’s largest accumulation of floating waste and has an estimated surface area of 1.6 million square kilometers – equivalent to three times the size of France.

Recycling of the captured plastic will begin shortly, and Kia will use a proportion of the material in future models. This policy aligns with Kia’s commitment to provide sustainable mobility solutions that have a measurable impact on achieving sustainability at scale.

Already, Kia has successfully implemented more than 30 sustainable solutions in various product areas, including fabrics and carpets using recycled PET, bio-based alternative leather, and BTX*-free paint. In the case of the EV9, the brand’s 7-seat all-electric SUV flagship model, for example, upcycled waste, including fishing nets retrieved from the ocean, is used to create the vehicle’s floor carpets. The components used in the construction of the EV9 made from recycled plastic and bio-based, eco-friendly materials weigh approximately 34kg.

Immediately after bringing the record haul to shore, The Ocean Cleanup announced the introduction of its new System 03 technology. Almost three times larger than System 002, System 03 can capture much larger quantities of plastic at a lower cost per kilogram removed on a continuous year-round basis. It also features more sophisticated environmental monitoring and safety technology, such as a new Marine Animal Safety Hatch designed to protect marine life. This scale-up marks the next phase towards The Ocean Cleanup’s objective of removing 90% of floating ocean plastic by 2040.

Kia commitment to a sustainable planet

Kia remains steadfast in its commitment to a sustainable planet and the wellbeing of future generations. This strategy encompasses the brand’s continued and growing support of The Ocean Cleanup. It will be reinforced and represented through the Kia logo and colors appearing on every set of overalls worn by the crew of System 03.

Charles Ryu, Senior Vice President and Head of the Global Brand & CX Division at Kia Corp., commented: “The record catch of plastics brought to shore by The Ocean Cleanup for recycling is tangible proof of how technology can deliver sustainable solutions at scale. Kia’s partnership with The Ocean Cleanup demonstrates the brand’s commitment to having a positive impact. Initiatives such as this one perfectly align with Kia’s transition to a sustainable mobility solutions provider and our Plan S strategy, through which we embrace the needs of our customers and the protection of our environment by acting as a responsible corporate citizen.”

Nisha Bakker, Director Partnerships of The Ocean Cleanup, said: “This record delivery marks the end of the System 002 era for The Ocean Cleanup, and the perfect platform as we launch System 03. We are moving forward step-by-step, and we believe that System 03 represents the size of system required to scale up and expand our cleanup in the most economical way. Beyond System 03, we plan to deploy a fleet of systems that together will be capable of removing 50 per cent of the GPGP every five years. However, we cannot do this alone. Committed and valued partners, and particularly our global partner Kia, remain essential for The Ocean Cleanup to bring our shared ambitions of plastic-free oceans to reality.”

*BTX (Benzene, Toluene, Xylene)

The post Kia partner, The Ocean Cleanup, delivers record 55-ton ocean plastic haul appeared first on Eco Car Guide.