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Clean technologies

Overview

Queensland's clean technologies industry offers enormous growth, export and investment potential. It is a diverse sector, driven mainly by small to medium sized businesses that deliver innovative products and services in green building, water/wastewater, energy efficiency, renewable energies, clean energies, waste management, recycling, land and air quality.

Many Queensland companies are successfully exporting their know-how and technologies.

This industry develops innovative solutions to pressing global issues such as population growth, climate change and environmentally sustainable economic development. It is a major contributor to the Queensland economy, providing essential technologies and services to the infrastructure, mining and urban development sectors.

Queensland's leading research facilities include inter alia the National Climate Change Research Adaptation Facility, Queensland Centre for Advanced Technology, Queensland University of Technology Institute for Sustainable Resources, Queensland Geothermal Energy Centre of Excellence, Centre for Coal Energy Technologies, Australian Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, Cooperative Research Centre for Sugar Industry Innovation, Advanced Water Management Centre, International Water Centre, and the South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership, as well as research developed by Queensland universities.

Green building

Queensland's building and construction products and services are highly regarded internationally, making them a major contributor to Queensland's export markets. The industry has attracted a global reputation for its consistent and innovative state-of-the-art practices and services for construction management, development consultants and construction techniques that make new or existing buildings more durable and efficient.

Queensland is one of Australia's driving forces for green and eco-friendly material and building practices. Queensland companies' capabilities range from the supply of renewable building materials and green building design, to support consultancies providing lifecycle analysis and eco-friendly procurement. Examples of innovative and cost-effective materials are varied and include eco-friendly paint, rooves and walling systems, geo-textile filter fabrics, energy efficient lighting and insulation and water saving systems.

The State leads in research and development for sustainable building. A number of Queensland projects have been recognised for their superior 'green' credentials and awarded a 6-star rating from the Green Building Council of Australia.

Read our publications (PDF's) about global green building opportunities within:

  • China
  • USA
  • The Gulf States
  • India
  • Singapore
  • The global demand

Water/wastewater

In 2007, South East Queensland was in the grip of the worst drought on record, experiencing unprecedented population growth and a changing climate, which put extreme pressure on the region's water supplies. In response, a major infrastructure program was undertaken to build necessary and climate-independent water sources. The South East Queensland Water Grid, at $9 billion, was the largest urban drought response in Australia and was developed to secure South East Queensland's water supplies now and for the future.

Development of this infrastructure, including pipelines, water recycling plants and a desalination plant, involved a wide range of expertise and has positioned Queensland as one of the leading suppliers in Australia for the development, operation and maintenance of water and wastewater infrastructure.

Queensland capabilities to supply technologies and services for the water and wastewater sector span the construction, project management, manufacturing, asset management and consulting fields. This includes specialised capabilities in wastewater treatment solutions, odour management, stormwater harvesting and stormwater pollution prevention.

Clean/renewable energy

The Queensland Government, through industry development strategies and the Queensland Renewable Energy Plan, is driving the development of a wide range of clean/renewable energy technologies and services in Queensland. This includes the renewable energy fields of solar, geothermal, tidal, biomass, biofuels and wind power, as well as the clean coal fields of carbon capture and storage, coal seam gas and underground coal gasification. Queensland's capabilities in most of these areas are dominated by small-medium enterprises.

Queensland's capabilities in solar include grid link systems, lighting, air heaters and weather stations. Companies in this field are exporting their technologies and services throughout the Asia Pacific region.

Queensland's biomass capabilities include the development of technologies and power plants that convert biomass into electricity, the conversion of non-toxic waste products to carbon beads and rotary kiln technology.

Queensland has an expanding base of companies specialising in energy efficient products and services, including energy auditing, insulation, smart metering and consulting.

Those sub-sectors that are primarily at the research, development or demonstration stage include geothermal, biofuels, tidal, wind and carbon capture and storage.

Read our publication (PDF) about Queensland's clean technologies.

Useful links

Government

Green building

Clean energy

Water/wastewater

Others

More information

For more information about clean technologies in Queensland contact cleantech@trade.qld.gov.au

Last updated 16 October 2009