What's New in Process Technology

Expansion of the Mars Petcare factory in Wodonga is boosting cat food production capacity and creating more than 65 jobs, according to the Victorian Government. Production has now been expanded to produce more than 29 million cat food pouches each year for Australia and New Zealand markets. The multi-million-dollar expansion includes a new 7800 m2 manufacturing facility fitted with cutting-edge technology, including autonomous mobile robots, automated packaging systems and a hydrostatic cooker.

While variable speed drives can greatly improve energy efficiency, they can introduce other problems that shorten the life of motor bearings. Electric motors play a vital role in our everyday lives — where we live, work and play. Simply put, they make almost everything that moves, move. Nearly 70% of electricity consumed by industry is used by electric motor systems1.

The Queensland Government has announced an increase in its commitment to CopperString by delivering an additional $3.2 billion investment for the project in the upcoming state Budget. The state government has budgeted $420 million in funding in the 2026–27 Budget, as part of a total $3.2 billion investment to support construction activities for the Eastern Link as well as enabling works for the Western Link, including through the North West Energy Fund.

The WA Government has announced it will invest $9.8 million in Generation Steel — formerly known as Green Steel of WA — to progress plans for Australia’s first low-emissions steel mill and Western Australia’s first steel recycling mill in Collie. Allocated from the $230 million Collie Industrial Transition Fund, the funding unlocks Generation Steel’s next stages of development for the steel mill project and marks a significant milestone in Collie’s transition.

Anyone who has ever played Age of Empires knows the frustration of realising too late that more villagers were needed. In mining and minerals processing, operators face a similar reality every day, just with significantly higher stakes. At its core, Age of Empires is not really a game about combat. It is about resource management, information and the sequencing of investment decisions. That is precisely what makes it an effective analogy for instrumentation and process automation in modern plants.

The federal, South Australian and Tasmanian governments have announced they will provide a further $105 million to support Nyrstar to progress key feasibility work at the Port Pirie and Hobart critical minerals operations. This funding will support continued operations at the Port Pirie and Hobart smelters during 2026 while Nyrstar continues detailed work on future investment decisions at both sites.

On 2 June 2026, LION announced a proposal to close the James Boag’s Brewery in Launceston in November 2026. The company said the Launceston brewery is currently operating at about a fifth of its capacity due to long-term decline in the national beer market. This combined with significant cost inflation has meant that this brewery is no longer viable.

Implementing zero trust in OT environments requires a holistic approach that unites informed people, rigorous processes and the right technology. Not long ago, the operational technology (OT) networks used in environments such as factories and critical infrastructure were air-gapped, meaning they were not connected to the internet.

As labour shortages, rising input costs and customer expectations converge, food and beverage manufacturers are under mounting pressure to rethink how they move product — from production line to distribution. CeMAT Australia 2026 is where that conversation gets real.

By Byron Raal* Wednesday, 10 June, 2026 Why process engineers should look at their compressed air system before their next capital decarbonisation submission. Most facility decarbonisation plans tend to favour visible interventions like rooftop solar, battery storage and process electrification. All these are of course worthy paths to follow, but they are costly interventions, and if there are existing energy inefficiencies in the plant, they will do nothing for them.