The New South Wales Government has released a new wind energy framework to encourage renewable energy projects, and create community engagement around wind farms. The new framework is designed to help local communities engage earlier and more effectively with wind energy projects planned for their area. It will address delays in assessments for wind energy projects, which on average have […]
The construction of a new nutrient removal plant will increase the capacity of Melbourne Water’s Western Treatment Plant (WTP) in Werribee, which treats around half of Melbourne’s sewage. The WTP was established at Werribee in 1891, occupying over 10,500 hectares and is Melbourne’s first sewage treatment farm. The new nutrient removal plant will provide an additional 140ML/d of capacity, the […]
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) 2016 National Transmission Network Development Plan (NTNDP) illustrates the need for transmission networks to adapt in order to maintain a reliable, secure power system. AEMO Chief Operating Officer, Mike Cleary, said, “Transmission networks, historically designed for transporting energy from traditional coal and gas generation centres, will be asked to support large-scale renewable generation and […]
In an Australian first, South East Water is using solar technology to power a pressure sewer system on the Mornington Peninsula in Victoria. Solar is now being used to power a pressure sewer system at the Truemans Road Recreation Reserve in Tootgarook, future-proofing sports club facilities for the local community, and opening up new possibilities for the provision of wastewater […]
A new report has warned Victoria will need access to more gas to meet the state’s long-term electricity needs. EnergyQuest’s new EnergyQuarterly report said Victoria has less than ten years to find a reliable source of gas, a prospect it says is hindered by the recent decision to limit new onshore gas exploration. The report found that the natural gas […]
A new Energy Networks Australia (ENA) and CSIRO report outlines the specific measures that could be taken to transition to smart energy, saving electricity customer hundreds of dollars per year and allowing Australia to achieve zero net carbon emission by 2050. The two-year Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap study, which involved hundreds of stakeholders, found a national, integrated plan was needed to […]
SA Water will be one of the first Australian water utilities to use new smart technology to manage the water supply network in Adelaide’s CBD, following a $4 million investment in the emerging technology. A major part of the project will include the installation of flow, pressure, and acoustic leakage sensors to give insight into what is occurring in the […]
The Western Australian Government has announced it will sell 51 per cent of Western Power, with the proceeds to go towards state infrastructure. Western Australian Treasurer and Minister for Energy, Mike Nahan, said 51 per cent will be sold through public float but the government will remain the largest shareholder. “Under the 51 per cent public float proposal, the State […]
The Western Australian Government has committed up to $10 million to improve electricity reliability in Kalbarri, constructing what could become Australia’s largest renewable energy-powered microgrid. Western Australian Minister for Energy, Mike Nahan, said the microgrid would explore a 5MW peak capable system which would include a large-scale battery with a minimum capacity of 2MW hours, as well as renewable generation sources […]
A landmark agreement to roll out Australian designed solar heliostat technology in China will provide climate mitigation benefits for both countries. The deal between CSIRO, which invented the the specialist heliostat technology, and Chinese company Thermal Focus, will help China reach its renewable energy targets and produce 1.4GW of concentrated solar thermal (CST) by 2018, and up to 5GW by […]
ARENA is supporting a new trial will be conducted across more than 150 households in New South Wales and Victoria to test how smart inverters can be used with rooftop solar and home energy storage to cut costs, and improve the reliability of electricity supply. ARENA is providing $1.87 million in funding for the Institute for Sustainable Futures (ISF) at […]
The federal government is establishing a new taskforce to look at how irrigation infrastructure can help achieve further water recovery in the Northern Basin of the Murray-Darling Basin in New South Wales and Queensland, while minimising impacts on communities. The announcement follows the Murray-Darling Basin Authority’s recommendation to reduce the water recovery target in the Northern Basin from 390GL to […]
The Queensland Government has approved almost $6 million in funding for critical water, flooding and sewerage upgrades for Gladstone and the Banana Shire in Central Queensland. Queensland Assistant Minister to the Deputy Premier, Glenn Butcher, said the infrastructure projects will not only generate jobs but are also integral to maintaining liveability as the community grows. “Replacing aging sewage pipes and […]
The Mount Isa Water Board is progressing a study to bring reduced-cost solar pumping from Lake Julius in Queensland’s Gulf Country region, in what would be the state’s first solar powered water supply. Queensland Minister for Biofuels, Energy and Water Supply, Mark Bailey, said the innovative project could see renewable energy being used to increase water supply security, while reducing […]
ElectraNet has put forward four options for a new high-voltage electricity interconnector that could potentially link to Victoria, New South Wales or Queensland. The new interconnector options have initial cost estimates of between $500 million to $2.5 billion, with early projections stating it will be operational by either 2021 or 2022. ElectraNet also called for credible non-network options to be […]
Management of energy consumption is the easiest way for businesses to control increasing electricity costs, according to ERM Power CEO, Jon Stretch. Mr Stretch said amid concerns about energy policy, price and security, managing energy consumption through demand side management was the cheapest form of carbon abatement, which had been lost in the debate because of the focus on energy […]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $449,000 in funding to Australian National University (ANU) to map potential short-term off-river pumped hydro energy storage (STORES) sites which could unlock new pathways for renewable energy. STORES sites are pairs of reservoirs which are separated by an altitude difference of between 300 – 900m, in hilly terrain, and joined by a […]
A report into Tasmania’s irrigation sector for 2015-16 shows that three new irrigation schemes were opened in 2016 and water delivery doubled from previous seasons. The Tasmanian Irrigation (TI) 2015-16 Annual Report highlighted the challenges met throughout the year as well as the success of sustainable water development in the state. As part of the State Government’s aim to increase […]
An Australian irrigation alliance has received the Core Value Award 2016 from the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) Australasia in the Infrastructure category. The Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area Renewal Alliance (MIARA) – an alliance between Murrumbidgee Irrigation (MI), GHD, John Holland Group and UGL – received the award to acknowledge their effective stakeholder engagement on the Hanwood Modernisation Project in […]
The introduction of new rules to ensure smarter use of off-grid technology could save customers over $1.7 billion in costs and provide a more reliable service to rural customers. An analysis released by the Energy Networks Association (ENA) and CSIRO, as part of their Electricity Network Transformation Roadmap program, assesses the role microgrids and stand alone power systems could play […]
The federal government is investing $440 million in key water infrastructure projects across Australia – the most significant investment in water infrastructure in the country’s history. The funding was announced along with the release of the National Water Infrastructure Development Fund (NWIDF) guidelines which has made almost $60 million available to accelerate the planning work needed to get major projects […]
The Victorian Government’s annual water trading report has revealed that a total of 2,737GL of water was traded in Victoria in 2015-2016 – the equivalent of five Sydney Harbours or more than one million olympic-sized swimming pools. The 2015-16 Victorian Water Trading Annual Report provides information about the price of water, volume and number of trades across the grid to help […]
Powerlink’s Mackay Substation on Queensland’s east coast is receiving a $24 million upgrade to further secure electricity supply and support continued economic growth in the region. The six-year project by Powerlink is supporting 39 jobs and involves upgrading a transformer, rebuilding the switchyards and installing new support systems to improve network performance. Planning for stage two has begun with construction […]
Electricity distributors design their networks to ensure customers have access to the electricity they need, even in the most extreme conditions. Traditionally, this has meant, as demand has increased, investment in traditional poles and wires infrastructure also increased. But now, new research from United Energy has highlighted the role solar and battery storage can play in providing the electricity customers […]
A new solar farm will be built in North Queensland’s Whitsundays region, providing the area with 58MW of energy and 200 jobs during construction. Queensland Minister for Energy, Mark Bailey, said the Whitsunday Solar Farm was an example of industry confidence in Queensland’s renewable energy future. “The Whitsunday Solar Farm is a joint initiative of Australian renewable energy company Edify […]
The Victorian Government has announced $1.1 million in funding for upgrades and irrigation improvements at the Bendigo Botanic Gardens and Rosalind Park in Bendigo, Victoria. Stormwater harvesting, storage and reuse for irrigation will be employed to ensure the garden will be more resilient to climate change. There will also be a connection to Coliban Water’s recycled water system. Victorian Minister […]
SA Water has committed $3 million to upgrade the capacity of the wastewater network in Lobethal, in the Adelaide Hills, to ensure it can continue to meet increased demand from predicted residential growth. The project will involve the upgrade of a wastewater pump station plant on Jeffrey Street and the installation of two underground pump stations near Woodside Road in […]
Coliban Water’s recently completed $40 million water security project in Harcourt near Bendigo in Victoria is providing a reliable water supply system to more than 160 rural customers. Developed by Coliban Water, the water supply system gives customers access to a year-round pressurised supply and replaces the current concrete and earthen gravity channels, which are more than a century old. […]
Goulburn Mulwaree Council has awarded the construction contract for an upgrade of the Goulburn Wastewater Treatment Plant in the Southern Tablelands region of New South Wales. Haslin Constructions will complete the upgrade which was driven by the need to ensure sewer discharge meets environmental standards and future population growth projections. The current treatment plant was constructed in 1918 and an […]
Asia Pacific’s first grid-scale Tesla Powerpack storage system to be integrated into the public electricity network has be unveiled at the renovated Glen Innes substation in Auckland, New Zealand. The Tesla Powerpack has a storage capacity of 1MW/2.3MWh – the equivalent to powering 450 average homes for 2.3 hours – allows New Zealand multi-network infrastructure company, Vector, to continue to […]
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