Gas

March 27, 2024

Jemena has announced plans to enable reverse supply for its Eastern Gas Pipeline (EGP), which could enable up to 300TJ...

Gas

AEMO releases 2024 Gas Statement of Opportunities report

March 22, 2024

AEMO has released its 2024 Gas Statement of Opportunities (GSOO) report, which has warned of a significant gap in supply...

Disaster Management

Gladstone gas supply cut off by pipeline fire

March 6, 2024

A fire has broken out at Jemena’s Queensland Gas Pipeline (QGP) near Bauhinia Downs, Queensland. 6 March update Jemena crews...

Asset management

New flow meter detecting dangerous methane leaks

March 4, 2024

Engineers monitoring natural gas compressors for dry seal leaks of toxic, combustible methane (CH4) gas will find the ST75 Series...

Electricity

EnergyAustralia’s $300M gas-fired power station opens

February 20, 2024

EnergyAustralia’s $300 million Tallawarra B gas-fired power station has officially opened after two years of construction. Tallawarra B, a fast-start...

Electricity

Jemena releases Draft Pricing and Services Plan for consultation

February 7, 2024

Jemena is seeking feedback on its Draft Pricing and Services Plan, following an 18-month community and customer consultation period. The...

Gas

AEP calls for federal gas supply funding

February 5, 2024

Australian Energy Producers (AEP) has called on the Federal Government to fund new gas supply in the Federal Budget, in...

Electricity

Fall in wholesale electricity prices revealed in AER market report

January 31, 2024

The Australian Energy Regulator (AER) has revealed that average annual wholesale electricity prices in the National Electricity Market (NEM) fell...

Gas

New gas commitments secured through federal Gas Code

January 23, 2024

The Federal Government has announced that more than 260PJ of gas will be made available between 2023 and 2033 through...

Events

Can Australia’s gas industry weather peak periods?

January 16, 2024

By Kirstin Crothers Gas supply shortages are predicted to impact Australia’s utility sector, with the risk of blackouts during the...

Gas

New EnergyAustralia gas power station completes successful test fire

December 19, 2023

EnergyAustralia has announced it has successfully completed the first test fire of its new 316MW Tallawarra B gas power station,...

Gas

VIC Gov releases Gas Substitution Roadmap

December 14, 2023

The Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio has released the updated Gas Substitution Roadmap – which is set...

Asset management

Inside the nerve centre that powers Origin’s gas supply network

by Utility Journalist

October 24, 2023

Origin Energy manages one of the largest gas supply networks in Australia, and controls and monitors thousands of gas assets...

Featured image: Artist impression of the HyP Gladstone. Image courtesy of Australian Gas Infrastructure Group.

Gas

Hydrogen Park Gladstone begins construction

October 18, 2023

The Australian Gas Infrastructure Group (AGIG) has announced that Hydrogen Park (HyP) Gladstone in Queensland, Australia’s first city-wide renewable hydrogen...

Boundary Power has developed a first-of-its-kind, relocatable, hydrogen integrated stand-alone power system (HiSAPS) in Victoria, aided by funding from the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA). On 9 October 2023, the Victorian Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio, visited the Ampcontrol manufacturing site in Ringwood to see the demonstration unit in action, powering the internal lighting of the LED manufacturing facility. Stand-alone power systems are designed to generate electricity through solar PV and batteries, using a back-up diesel generator during poor weather conditions. As part of the drive towards net zero, non-carbon emitting forms of back-up power, such as green hydrogen, are needed. In January 2022, Boundary Power received funding from the Victorian Government under the Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Plan. In collaboration with its joint venture partners, Horizon Power, integrated electrical solutions provider, Ampcontrol and manufacturer of long duration energy storage systems, LAVO, the grant enabled Boundary Power to deliver a 100 per cent renewable, demonstration HiSAPS plant that uses solar power and a renewable hydrogen hybrid battery to store and generate electricity when required. The unit design utilises Boundary Power’s Solar Qube® product, a relocatable, all-in-one, standalone power system. Ampcontrol design engineers collaborated with Selectronic for the Solar Qube electrical design to develop advanced features using the Australian designed and manufactured Selectronic battery inverter. This design solution replaces the onboard diesel generator with a self-contained hydrogen power system, developed by LAVO. The LAVO unit is a prototype system developed and tested in New South Wales and deployed by LAVO for trial across Australia. The project has offered an insight into the new technology required to build hydrogen systems to store and provide electricity. This demonstration plant will provide crucial insight into the technical, regulatory and safety aspects of integrating hydrogen systems into a stand-alone power system. Boundary Power General Manager, Simon Duggan, said that Boundary Power’s vision is to lead the energy transition with advancements in stand-alone power system design and technology. “We are extremely thankful to the Victorian Government and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action for its support and funding, allowing us to develop the first hydrogen-integrated unit here in Victoria,” Mr Duggan said. “The funding allowed us to collaborate with experts in the field to design an innovative solution to demonstrate real-world application, paving the way for future commercialisation of HiSAPS.” Featured image: Ms Ambrosio (centre) and Mr Duggan (left) at the launch of Boundary Power’s HiSAPS. Image credit: Boundary Power.

Electricity

First hydrogen stand-alone power system developed in VIC

October 12, 2023

Boundary Power has developed a first-of-its-kind, relocatable, hydrogen integrated stand-alone power system (HiSAPS) in Victoria, aided by funding from the...

Coal seam gas

Fed Gov opens consultations for Future Gas Strategy

October 4, 2023

The Australian Government has opened consultations and released a paper on a national Future Gas Strategy, which aims to help...

Asset management

Power crews on standby during gas turbine maintenance

October 2, 2023

Local and specialist crews from Western Power will be on standby as essential planned maintenance is undertaken on Synergy’s two...

The CSIRO is among six of the county’s leading research institutions that are collaborating with international researchers to tackle challenges in clean energy production and storage, with two multilateral research programs announced. In a joint effort between Australia, the US, Canada, and the UK, two multilateral research projects have been announced today as part of the National Science Foundation Global Centers in Climate Change and Clean Energy (NSF Global Centers) program. The NSF Global Centers in Climate Change and Clean Energy involve the United States (NSF); Canada (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada); the United Kingdom (UK Research and Innovation); and Australia (CSIRO). The NSF Global Centres is committing $US76.4 million (more than AU$118 million) over five years across the four partner countries and are supporting international, interdisciplinary collaborative research centres to bring together the brightest minds from across the globe to address challenges the world faces today. Two projects earmarked by the multi-national collaboration are being steered by Australian innovations. The Electric Power Innovation for a Carbon-free Society (EPICS) Centre will be a global scientific leader in developing transformative computing, economic strategies, engineering solutions, and forward-thinking policy to enable a completely renewable energy power grid. This joint project involves the US, UK, and Australia and is led by CSIRO and AEMO, the University of Melbourne, and Monash University in Australia The other innovation includes the Global Hydrogen Production Technologies (HyPT) Centre, which is pioneering large-scale net zero hydrogen production methods. It explores three innovative technologies: renewable energy-integrated water electrolysis, methane pyrolysis with valuable solid carbon co-products, and solar-driven water splitting. The University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and Curtin University represent Australia in this international collaboration, working with partners from the US, Canada, the UK, Egypt, and Germany. The institutions will pool resources and expertise to confront the challenges of a changing climate and continue the charge towards net zero emissions. University of Melbourne Chair of Electrical Power Systems and Australian EPICS Centre Principal Investigator, Professor Pierluigi Mancarella, said, “This Global Centre (EPICS Centre) is an unprecedented opportunity to partner with major international institutes in the US and UK, and harness world-leading research to address some of the most pressing scientific challenges that Australia and other jurisdictions worldwide are facing during the energy transition towards net zero. “These challenges range from guaranteeing stable and secure system operation in the presence of ultra-high penetration of variable energy sources and distributed energy resources, most of which are based on power electronic interfaces, to identifying reliable and resilient investment paths across the whole energy system in the presence of deep, long-term planning uncertainty,” Professor Mancarella said. University of Adelaide Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Anton Middelberg, said that the institution is delighted to be working with other researchers such as CSIRO on the HyPT Centre and to advance the commercialisation of technology that has the potential to be game-changing for hydrogen production “Our world-class researchers will be collaborating on finding solutions that will help create a more sustainable future for society,” Professor Middelberg said. Featured image: Smart Solar EV charging stations at CSIRO. Image courtesy of CSIRO

Company news

CSIRO announces international clean energy research projects

September 19, 2023

The CSIRO is among six of the county’s leading research institutions that are collaborating with international researchers to tackle challenges...

Batteries & Storage

Demolition contract awarded for AGL power station

September 19, 2023

AGL has appointed a demolition services company to engage in the first phase of demolition for its Torrens Island ‘A’...

Gas

Safe and accurate monitoring for gas control systems

September 6, 2023

The close control of toxic and/or combustible gases requires specialised technology for the continuous monitoring of analysers to ensure their...

Electricity

Sydney votes to ban gas in new buildings

August 23, 2023

The City of Sydney council has passed a motion that looks to introduce a new policy that will require new...

Company news

Penalties for VIC energy distributors increase up to $10M

August 18, 2023

The Victorian Government is implementing an increase to penalties for gas and electricity distributors, with companies that commit serious breaches...

Gas

WA Gov updates Domestic Gas Policy

August 17, 2023

The Western Australian Government has updated the WA Domestic Gas Policy for Perth and Canning Basin, and exemptions will not...

Electricity

Gas to support renewable energy transition

August 16, 2023

A new report has said that Australia’s transition to renewable energy sources may actually see an increase in emissions in...

Company news

AGL holds inaugural Energy Day in VIC

August 9, 2023

AGL has hosted its inaugural Latrobe Valley Energy Hub Day at the Loy Yang Power Station in Gippsland, Victoria. The...

Gas

WA Northern Goldfields gas pipeline opens

July 31, 2023

APA Group (APA) has launched its Northern Goldfields Interconnect (NGI) pipeline, with the Dampier to Bunbury Natural Gas pipeline now...

Electricity

New houses in VIC to be gas-free from 2024

July 31, 2023

The Victorian Government has announced that gas connections will be phased out from all new builds from 2024, transitioning houses...

Keld Knudsen on site at gas plant. Image courtesy of APPEA

Company news

New APPEA QLD Director announced