According to The Asahi Shimbun, exhausted workers could soon get some rest without feeling self-conscious in a cocoon-like capsule in the corner of their office.
Koyoju Plywood Corp. is developing the Kamin Box (Power nap box), in which people can take a quick nap while standing upright, with technological assistance from Tokyo-based office furniture supplier Itoki Corp.
Recent years have seen a rise in the belief that taking breaks and naps are an important factor for improving productivity in offices.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14678630

 

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Skyrocketing prices for chemical fertilizers have sent officials looking to other valuable, if unappetizing, resources that are readily available in Japan to help grow food.
While prices are climbing higher and higher, their search has taken them in the other direction--down. Way down.
It turns out that human waste from our sewers--the stinky stuff cities usually pay to get rid of--is an abundant natural resource, packed full of essential nutrients for plant growth, once it gets processed.
“Sewage sludge is a mine of treasures,” said an official with the land ministry.
And farmers are increasingly being priced out of getting those treasures from other sources because of geopolitics.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14680716

 

According to The Australian Financial Review, Fortescue Future Industries has partnered with AGL to explore the possibility of producing green hydrogen and ammonia in the Hunter Valley when the energy company retires its Liddell and Bayswater coal power stations.
AGL said the study will focus on a proposed facility capable of producing between 150MW and 2GW of hydrogen export and domestic use.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/ffi-and-agl-to-explore-green-hydrogen-in-hunter-20220809-p5b8iu

According to The Australian Financial Review, the Australian Labor government has announced Australia’s first offshore wind regions, firing the starting gun for a growing number of projects that aim to capitalise on the country’s renewable energy ambitions.
Moving quickly to take advantage of the passage of legislation for the party’s goal to reduce emissions by 43 per cent, Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen named five regions with offshore wind projects for future public consultation.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/labor-to-make-first-offshore-wind-declarations-20220804-p5b7fm

 

According to The Australian Financial Review, Monark Property Partners, the real estate financier backed by Melbourne’s ultra-wealthy Liberman family, has invested in an $80 million housing estate in the city’s south-east that will emit no carbon and be powered only by electricity.
The greenfield project to be delivered on a 9.2ha site next door to the Ranfurlie Golf Course in Cranbourne West, is the first joint venture between Monark and Resolution Property Group headed by Jeremy De Zylva and Frazer East.

https://www.afr.com/property/residential/liberman-family-backed-monark-to-invest-in-zero-carbon-housing-estate-20220801-p5b66w

 

According to The Australian Financial Review, BHP Nickel West’s exploration spending this year will hit its highest level since 2005 as it moves to capitalise on the soaring demand for electric vehicles.
Increasing sales of electric vehicles is a key objective of many governments that have signed up to net zero emissions by 2050, as reducing carbon from the transport sector is proving more challenging than other sectors.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/bhp-nickel-west-says-exploration-spend-to-hit-17-year-high-on-ev-boom-20220803-p5b6vt

 

According to The Asahi Shimbun, Fujifilm Corp.’s new Instax Mini Link 2 portable printer allows users to add decorations to smartphone photos using augmented reality (AR) technology.
The subject of the photo can draw text and paintings in the air and add bubbles, petals and other ornaments, for example.
The printer, released on July 28, is the latest addition to the popular Instax series, which primarily features instant cameras that allow users to print photos on the spot.

https://www.asahi.com/ajw/articles/14666917
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, Hysata, an Australian hydrogen technology company, has raised more than $40 million to fund its expansion after revolutionising the development of the fuel source increasingly touted as an alternative to fossil fuels.
Hysata’s process is about 20 per cent more efficient than traditional electrolysis, and the breakthrough is critical to achieving commercialisation, the threshold for which is thought to be a production cost of $2 per kilogram or less.
The breakthrough has fuelled excitment in the sector. Hysata said its $42.5 million capital raising was oversubscribed, having attracted local and foreign heavyweights, including the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, UK-listed IP Group Australia, Vestas Ventures from Denmark, local super fund Hostplus and steelmaker BlueScope.

https://www.afr.com/companies/energy/hysata-raises-42m-after-hydrogen-breakthrough-20220801-p5b6aq

 

According to The Renew Economy, the South Australia Labor government says it has received 60 different proposals from organisations around the world on its $593 million hydrogen jobs plan for Whyalla, and will now study these to decide on whether to modify, expand or improve on its plans.
The Malinauskas government went to the recent election with a controversial proposal for a government-funded hydrogen hub at Whyalla that would include a 250MW electrolyser and a 200MW hydrogen-fuelled power station.

https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-australia-receives-60-proposals-for-whyalla-green-hydrogen-plan/
 

According to The Australian Financial Review, surging construction cost inflation that is making projects unviable and causing developers to shelve them will ease next year as a global weakening in demand softens prices, helping calm inflation in the wider economy, according to fresh forecasts from consultancy RLB.
Construction cost growth should slow from 11.5 per cent this year to 5.5 per cent in calendar year 2023 in Gold Coast alone, while in Melbourne it will halve from 8 per cent to 4 per cent and drop from 6.9 per cent to 3.9 per cent in Sydney, the quantity surveying firm’s International Report Q2 2022 forecasts show.

https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/why-building-cost-inflation-is-set-to-ease-from-next-year-report-20220727-p5b50p