Clayton Franklin is a proud Wunumara man from Cloncurry, Queensland, and is the Founder, Owner and Chief Engineer at Electric Power Conversions Australia (EPCA). Growing up on his family’s banana farm in north Queensland, Clayton developed a strong connection to Country and from a young age was inventing new technologies to assist with the farm, including electrifying the farm’s petrol-driven 4-wheeler, which to this day is running on a battery that achieves greater speeds and true net zero emissions thanks to the farm’s solar PV system. It was these connections that drove him through his studies and led to a successful career for over 25 years in Western Australia’s mining and construction industries. While skilled in Electrical Design, Project Implementation, Process Control, Control Systems Design and Functional Safety (TUV certified Engineer), Clayton also holds a Master of Business Administration from Curtin University. Clayton has become a recognised name in the new technology space, guiding the development of the world’s first hydrogen-powered mining vehicle as the Lead Engineer in 2021, and was subsequently involved in the electrification of a D65 Epiroc drill rig.