The ACT Government has approved the development application for a grid-scale battery in Williamsdale, as part of efforts to future-proof Canberra’s energy supply. Stream 1 of the Big Canberra Battery Project in Williamsdale will commence construction in late 2024, supported by a partnership between the ACT Government and Eku Energy. The grid-scale battery is expected to deliver 250MW of storage, [...]
Australia’s Energy Ministers have published the National Consumer Energy Resources (CER) Roadmap, which sets out an overarching vision and plan to unlock CER at scale across the country. Announced at the Energy and Climate Change Ministerial Council’s meeting, the roadmap's implementation plan outlines priority reforms through four workstreams: consumers, technology, markets and power system operations. The roadmap aims [...]
Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has committed $3 million in funding to support Barwon Water’s Green Oxygen for Wastewater Treatment project. Conducted over two stages, ARENA’s funding will support Barwon Water to first conduct a front-end engineering and design study to determine the technical and commercial feasibility of using pure oxygen captured from an electrolyser in its wastewater treatment process, [...]
All 12 projects in the Gippsland Offshore Wind Zone have now been granted feasibility licences. The first six projects were approved by the Federal Government in May 2024, and in a social post on 17 July 2024, Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, announced that the remaining six have now also been granted feasibility licenses. Mr Bowen also said [...]
A new initiative from the New South Wales Government aims to help businesses and councils harness the power of renewable energy zones (REZs). The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) has partnered with the Business Renewables Centre Australia (BRC-A) to help businesses understand how they can buy electricity directly from renewable energy generators such as solar and wind farms, and [...]
Energy Networks Australia (ENA) has released three priority recommendations for further development of renewable gas as a solution to decarbonise Australia by 2050. ENA’s paper, Renewable Gas for a Future Made in Australia, outlines its support for the Australian Government’s Future Gas Strategy and provides three expanded recommendations to policy makers, aimed at further supporting a renewable gas market and [...]
Horizon Power has expanded its Smart Connect Solar program, with more than 2,400 additional homes in Exmouth, Sandstone, Denham, Gascoyne Junction and Mt Magnet now gaining access to rooftop solar. In an effort to support the Western Australian Government’s commitment to delivering clean energy solutions for regional Western Australia, Horizon Power is using distributed energy management system – DERMS – [...]
The Victorian Government has launched a new renewable hydrogen back-up system for the Neerim North mobile network, which aims to boost energy resilience during storms and other extreme weather events. The 10kW renewable hydrogen generators will deliver up to 72 hours of back-up power and help maintain mobile coverage during power outages. The Victorian Government has invested $1.1 million into [...]
The Federal Government has released the market brief for the first Western Australian tender under the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) for renewables and energy storage. Tender 2 is expected to open in mid-July 2024 and will seek bids for clean dispatchable capacity projects in the Western Australian Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM). The tender is expected to target 500MW of [...]
The New South Wales Government has declared six renewable energy projects Critical State Significant Infrastructure (CSSI), in an effort to help maintain energy security as coal-fired sources close. A CSSI declaration means a project is deemed essential to New South Wales for economic, social and environmental reasons, with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces being the consent authority. A [...]
Engineers Australia has released new research identifying five key elements to unlocking the successful transition to renewables through energy jobs and skills. Conducted in partnership with Mott MacDonald, the research found that some professionals and communities are already managing this transformation and, with additional support and better co-ordination, the pathway towards a net zero workforce in the energy sector [...]
Origin Energy has acquired a 20 per cent interest in Climatech Zero, a leading provider of energy management and decarbonisation projects in the industrial sector. Origin said the move will enhance its ability to deliver on its strategy of leading the energy transition through providing unrivalled customer solutions. Climatech Zero is a specialist provider of energy management and decarbonisation solutions to [...]
The Queensland Government has named the seven members of its newly established technical advisory Board. The Queensland Energy System Advisory Board (QESAB) will provide advice to the State Government and the Energy Minister. It will be led by Leeanne Bond, a Queensland professional engineer who has helped shape a number of the nation’s green energy projects. Ms Bond is an [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced round one of its Community Battery Funding program, with 370 projects conditionally granted a total of $143 million. All states, and the Northern Territory, are expected to benefit from the program, which is designed to unlock $359 million of investment in renewable energy infrastructure. Once online, the batteries are expected to have [...]
The New South Wales Government has secured planning approval for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) transmission project, the first REZ in Australia to achieve this step. The New South Wales Government said that the project will pave the way for the construction of essential transmission infrastructure to connect large-scale solar, wind and energy storage projects to the electricity [...]
A new final rule has been published by the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) that is set to improve the process for creating new grid connections for renewable projects. The R1 assessment requires generators and large-scale storage providers to demonstrate they can meet performance standards before being registered in the national electricity market. A lack of clear obligations and timeframes [...]
Construction has begun on a microgrid in Corryong, which is expected to provide power for up to five days for more than 900 households and businesses. The microgrid will support the Corryong community to improve its energy resilience and help keep the power on during emergencies such as bushfires and storms. A microgrid is a small subset of the electricity [...]
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has released its Integrated System Plan (ISP), a 25-year roadmap to transition the National Electricity Market (NEM) to net zero by 2050. The ISP is the result of two years of consultation, analysis and review involving 2,100 stakeholders, 85 presentations and reports, and the consideration of 220 formal submissions. The ISP confirms that renewable [...]
Territory Generation has announced a series of projects to convert gas generators to new synchronous condensers, designed to integrate new infrastructure and support the Darwin–Katherine electricity system to take on more renewable energy. The projects are designed to further stabilise the grid as more renewable energy is generated and deliver essential system services currently provided by existing rotating generators. Territory [...]
A Memorandum of understanding (MoU) has been signed by AGL and Elecsome to undertake a feasibility study for the development of a solar panel recycling plant and solar cable manufacturing facility. The feasibility study will determine the engineering and infrastructure requirements as well as the key environmental and regulatory approvals required for the development, construction, and operation of both facilities. [...]
Transgrid has published its Project Assessment Draft Report (PADR), designed to protect and strengthen the security and stability of the New South Wales electricity grid as coal retires and more renewables come online. Transgrid conducted an Expression of Interest in 2023 which identified 100 possible non-network and network solutions to provide system strength to the New South Wales power system. [...]
Hunter Water has announced that it has entered into a Retail Renewable Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with AGL, to advance towards its sustainability targets. Hunter Water Managing Director, Darren Cleary, said that the agreement is an important step in delivering long term cost certainty in a time where there is a lot of uncertainty in the market. “We [...]
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced a $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge, which aims to stimulate greater innovation and collaboration in the sector. The challenge invites innovators, developers, engineers, financiers and solar customers around the world to accelerate innovation in large-scale solar and help drive down costs – particularly in installation, operations and maintenance – enabling ARENA to [...]
AEMO’s annual reliability outlook for Western Australia’s SWIS (South West Interconnected System) has predicted a significant improvement in the near-term, compared to 2023’s report. While the near-term outlook has substantially improved, the Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) Electricity Statement of Opportunities (ESOO) also highlights the need for continued capacity investment – particularly from 2027 onwards. Developed following modelling and consultation, the [...]
Yindjibarndi Energy Corporation (YEC) has received environmental approval for the first of several proposals, totalling 3GW of clean energy, as part of the Western Australia Government's Green Energy Approvals Initiative. The proposed projects could become one of Australia's largest renewable energy developments once complete. YEC, in partnership with ACEN Australia, received environmental approval for its first solar project of up [...]
The Federal Government has declared an amended offshore wind zone area in the Pacific Ocean, off the Illawarra coast, following consultations with community groups and First Nations people. The declared wind zone area is 1,022km², smaller than originally proposed, located between Wombarra and Kiama in New South Wales. The Illawarra offshore wind zone has been amended from its original proposal [...]
Stakeholders and leaders from across the industry attended the NSW 2030 Renewable Workforce Roundtable in the hunter to chart a path toward building the workforce needed to meet the challenges of the energy transition. The New South Wales Government said that the roundtable continues its commitment to ensuring the clean energy transition creates new local, secure jobs in both [...]
The Queensland Government has unveiled its 2024-25 Budget, including a $266.3 million investment in major renewable energy projects and a $107.3 billion capital program for infrastructure statewide. $92 million will be invested for CleanCo to progress renewables projects across Central Queensland, including the development of up to 2.3GW of new wind and solar projects. $174.3 million will go towards jointly [...]
The Queensland Government has announced that the upcoming State Budget will include Australia’s largest ever investment in renewable energy assets. The budget is set to include a record $26 billion invested in the renewable energy and jobs plan over the next four years – a boost from the $19 billion in 2023–24 budget. This includes: $16.5 billion towards renewable [...]
The nation’s first Indigenous-owned and grid-connected solar microgrid has been launched in the remote Northern Territory community of Marlinja. Located in the Barkly region, Marlinja sits halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin, around 25km north of Elliot. Chantelle Johns, Marlinja resident and community organiser with non profit project developer Original Power said that this is a historic achievement for a [...]
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