Oceania

Australia’s biggest electricity “gen-tailer” AGL is one step closer to energising its 250 MW/250 MWh grid-scale battery at South Australia’s Torrens Island after receiving the tick of approval from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

New Zealand renewables company Lodestone Energy’s plans to develop an initial suite of five large-scale solar farms with a combined generation capacity of more than 365 GWh per annum has reached another milestone with construction beginning on the second of the projects.

EntX has secured a license to explore salt deposits along the western side of the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia for the purpose of hydrogen storage.

Renewables developer GMR Energy has started working on a 240 MW/480 MWh battery project in Victoria, Australia.

Sun Cable’s troubled AUD 30 billion ($20 billion) mega solar and storage project has received a welcome boost, with resources company Tivan announcing that it has signed a deal with the developer for the potential offtake of up to 300 MW of renewable electricity.

Renewable energy retailer Flow Power claims that the integrated technology behind a new “smart” solar farm in the town of Berri, South Australia, is the first of its kind to be switched on in Australia.

The question of where to put new solar projects in Australia is becoming troublesome, as many of the top-choice land parcels for renewables development have been taken. However, RELA Australia says it has a novel solution that levels the playing field between landowners and developers.

Altech Batteries, a battery tech company in Western Australia, has included “game-changing” sodium chloride technology in its new battery 1 MWh GridPack. It said it expects the new systems to be up to 40% cheaper to produce than dominant lithium-ion alternatives.

Both houses of the Australian parliament have approved plans to establish an AUD 15 billion ($10 billion) national reconstruction fund to support domestic manufacturing in future industries and reduce the nation’s dependence on imports.

Much has been said about the benefits installing solar and batteries can offer to businesses but, as companies face mounting input cost inflation, is the upfront investment too much to bear or have volatile electricity costs made the decision a no-brainer?