• Fleet Space mineral exploration tech to be used in Africa
• Murraylands PR firm wins prestigious award
• Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir recognised among country’s best
• New solar facility opened in Adelaide

Fleet Space mineral exploration tech to be used in Africa

Adelaide-based space company Fleet Space Technologies has announced that its satellite-enabled mineral exploration technology will be used in Africa for the first time.

The company is partnering with the Resonance Frequency Exploration Group to provide the technology, known as ExoSphere, for mineral exploration in Ghana.

They will search for bauxite, gold, iron ore and lithium.

Fleet Space says its technology is a quicker, more efficient and more accurate method of mineral exploration that reduces costs and logistical issues. The company also states it is more environmentally friendly than traditional methods of mineral exploration as it does not require the use of vibrating trucks or explosives.

“There is an urgent, global need to discover new sources of critical minerals to support the transition to clean energy and net-zero,” company CEO Flavia Tata Nardini said.

“Together, we can greatly speed up the exploration process for a range of vital minerals, while also massively reducing its environmental impact – a win-win for Ghana and the wider international response to climate change.”

In August 2022, Fleet Space, which is among the fastest-growing high-tech space companies in Australia, announced it would open a second facility in Beverley in addition to its site at Lot Fourteen.

Murraylands PR firm wins prestigious award

South Australia’s Commshake has been named a silver winner in the Public Relations Institute of Australia’s (PRIA) 2022 Golden Target Awards.

The Murray Bridge-based firm was the only South Australian agency to win an award in the Small/Boutique category.

The other silver winner was Agenda C, which has offices in Melbourne and Sydney. The gold award went to Sydney-based firm Agent99.

Established in 1949, PRIA is the peak body for public relations and communications in Australia.

The Golden Target Awards recognise industry leaders and include categories such as “Emerging Leader of the Year” and “Researcher of the Year”.

Courtney Blacker began Commshake in 2016 and now has more than 50 clients, including the Mid Murray Council, SA Health and Saint Mark’s Lutheran School in Mount Barker.

The award follows two of Commshake’s clients winning at the 2022 SA Tourism Awards. Destination Riverland won Gold, while the Murray River, Lakes and Coorong Tourism Alliance won Silver.

Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir recognised among country’s best

The Adelaide Hills Wine Region has been invited to participate in the 2023 Pinot Noir Celebration on the Mornington Peninsula.

This is the first time that a South Australian wine region has been invited to join the event.

The festival runs from 10-11 February and will feature talks from experts, wine tasting, tours and workshops.

Speakers include American climatologist Dr Gregory Jones and South Australian wine writer Katie Spain.

Among the more than 150 Australian and international pinot noir wines to be showcased will be nine from the Adelaide Hills, including the Sidewood Estate 2021 Pinot Noir and the Cobb’s Hill Estate 2021 Cellar Reserve Pinot Noir.

According to South Australian winemaker Michael Hall, Adelaide Hills pinot noir has been growing in reputation in recent years.

“On the eastern seaboard, sommeliers have long hailed Victoria as the home of Pinot Noir in Australia, and Tasmania has the climatic advantage,” he said.

“Increasingly, they realise that the best Adelaide Hills wines have all the perfumed nuances that Pinot drinkers seek plus a savoury earthiness as a regional signature.”

Tickets to the two-day event start at $1500 and will cover lunches, dinners and refreshments.

New solar facility opened in Adelaide

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen and Tindo Solar owner and director Glenn Morelli. Photo: supplied

Federal Energy Minister Chris Bowen opened the Australian Centre for Excellence in PV in Adelaide last Thursday, also announcing that Adelaide would host the 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference.

The $11 million dollar Mawson Lakes facility will be used by Tindo Solar for solar panel manufacturing and innovation.

According to the company, they will be able to produce up to 150 megawatts of solar panels using M10 cells each year.

Tindo Solar currently employs 50 people at the centre, which will include design, engineering, and education capabilities.

Tindo Solar director Glenn Morelli said that the company is committed to manufacturing in Australia and in assisting in the transition to renewable energy sources,

“For Tindo, this factory is just the beginning, and we want to be the catalyst for a domestic solar supply chain that means every part of the panel can be manufactured locally, creating thousands of jobs and giving every Aussie the opportunity to have locally-made panels producing power on their roofs,” he said.

State Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis said that as a global leader in renewables, South Australia was a logical place to conduct research into them.

“Advanced manufacturers, such as Tindo, are the job creators and productivity drivers crucial to the state and national economy,” he said.

“As the Ukraine invasion and COVID-19 pandemic have shown, supply chains are vulnerable and we must promote sovereign capability to strengthen Australia.”