MEMBERS & MEMOS
Iplex Australia appoints new general manager
Paul Lavelle, new Iplex general manager. Image: Iplex.
Fletcher Building Australia has appointed Paul Lavelle as the new general manager of its pipeline solutions business Iplex Australia, effective January 2022. Dean Fradgley, Fletcher Building chief executive, said Lavelle is perfectly placed to lead the Iplex business into the next phase of growth. “Paul has delivered success for Fletcher Building since 2013 in his leadership roles with Laminex
and Fletcher Insulation,” said Fradgley. “His strong customer focus, drive for continuous improvement, and ability to influence positive outcomes will ensure the strong momentum already achieved by the team at Iplex will continue to accelerate.” Lavelle said he was excited to be joining Iplex at this stage of the business's journey and looked forward to working with the team and its customers.
New guide for public safety in pipelines The Australian Pipelines and Gas Association (APGA) has joined with the Future Fuels Cooperative Research Centre to produce a safety practice guide. Public Safety in the Pipeline Industry: An Engineering Practice Guide applies to engineers who work in the design and operation of high-pressure energy pipelines and associated facilities, and the organisations that employ such
engineers. The document forms part of the pipeline engineering body of resources and aims to support excellence in engineering practices. The resource addresses decision-making, actions and behaviours that impact public safety. It seeks to support pipeline engineers’ ability to identify situations that can impact public safety and how to address this effectively.
Australian, Japan signs clean hydrogen trade partnership The Morrison Government is growing Australia’s clean hydrogen export industry through a new initiative aimed at attracting overseas investment into hydrogen supply chains originating in Australia. The $150 million Australian Clean Hydrogen Trade Program (ACHTP) will support Australian-based hydrogen supply chain projects that secure overseas public or private sector investment. The first round of the program will focus on the export of clean
hydrogen to Japan under the Japan-Australia Partnership on Decarbonisation through Technology. Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the $150 million program would help to deliver on Australia’s commitment to reducing emissions by working with other countries to get the cost of clean energy technologies down. “It is critical that we work closely with our international partners such as Japan to deliver on Australia’s low emissions objectives,” Morrison said.
Fortescue Future Industries to build electrolyser Fortescue Future Industries (FFI) has achieved another ambitious target, making hydrogen using an electrolyser designed and built by the FFI team. A small team from FFI’s manufacturing arm developed the innovative electrolyser in the Western Australia facility, producing industrial grade hydrogen for the first time in December.
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FFI has developed several new electrolyser technologies that will form part of their electrolyser patent family. The outcomes of these projects will inform FFI’s electrolyser technology selection going forward, as FFI works towards its target to produce 15 million tonnes of green hydrogen per year by 2030.
The Australian Pipeliner | March 2022
