Monday 7/9/2009 Page: 20
Windmills area low-technology way to pump water and can be fixed on the spot. That is why the export business is ready to take off. Its straightforward design, the ease of installation and uncomplicated mechanics have made the Australian bush windmill a must-have water pumping solution in places such as Afghanistan, Malaysia and even Peru.Water technology is expected to become the next big export industry for Australian companies but as Comet Windmills has proved, innovation in this area does not have to be space-age or high-tech. Darren Fitzgerald bought Comet Windmills about 12 years ago, although the business has been around for more than 120. It is the only windmill manufacturer in NSW.
"Windmills are still the main method of pumping water in Australia," says Fitzgerald. "They are a magnificent piece of structural engineering and there are very few things needed to set them up properly. They are designed so you don't need a highly skilled technician and they can be fixed on the spot.
That's why bushmen love them." It is also why the rest of the world loves them. Comet Windmills started exporting about three years ago after winning a tender with the Australian Defence Forces to manufacture windmills and train array personnel on installation and maintenance for their use in Afghanistan. "Islands and villages and remote places like the windmill because they want something that is low technology," says Fitzgerald.
Austrade has identified water technology as one of the strongest export opportunities for manufacturers and engineers and one which both the state and federal governments are supporting with assistance to anew specialist water technology and services exporters' group called waterAustralia.
Rob Sutton, the national manager of agribusiness at Austrade, says water security for agriculture, industry and the community will be one of the strongest emerging export sectors in the next 12 to 24 months. We see a tremendous opportunity in water technology like windmills, and management technology linked to agriculture, as well as the security of potable water for human consumption-all this specialised technology that manages recycled water and waste water," says Sutton.
'At the moment this industry is dominated by the public sector in Australia and most other countries around the world, and there is very little privatisation. But the opportunities are there in infrastructure and local councils. "International markets like the US and countries with climates like Australia's are facing similar problems to us and we estimate the sector could be worth $1 trillion in a few years. "There are many opportunities in areas like water flow management systems, membrane filters, gate control systems, and infrastructure.
Australia now leads the way in this area because we had an early indication of national water shortage. "One interesting aspect of water technology is that if you can improve the accuracy of where a cubic metre of water is and when it will arrive to a customer, there will be less waste in that process. So with accurate pricing, timing and delivery you don't have to turn on the tap too early or late. Austrade has identified these services are required in the international market."
Delivering the right quantity of water at the right time is what Comet Windmills prides itself on. "We snake the largest windmills in the world. We are looking at a project in Peru with a windmill wheel that has a diameter of 10 metres and is capable of pumping 500,000 litres of water a day for irrigation to a cotton farm. We are also negotiating with people in China and India," Fitzgerald says.
"I always had the vision that the windmill was a good product for the developing world. There are only a few ways to pump water-diesel, electricity, solar and the windmill, and only solar and the windmill use renewable energy. "The trouble with solar technology in more remote places is that they get stolen or they break. Now that global warming is really on the agenda in a big way, more companies and big corporations are looking at windmills."
Austrade is meeting Australian water technology companies in September to introduce waterAustralia and outline the international trade opportunities in this sector.
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