Oceania

Cornwall Insight estimates Australia’s energy storage pipeline at 7 GW, although most of that capacity is still in the proposal phase. More than 900 MW of storage will be built by 2024 – far more than the market operator’s 2020 forecast.

Australian scientists have demonstrated two loss-mitigation techniques that could improve solar‐to‐hydrogen (STH) conversion efficiencies and may lay the ground for cheaper PV-powered hydrogen generation. By combining the two techniques, they were able to achieve an STH efficiency of around 19.4% at realistic operating temperatures.

Vena Australia has reached financial close on its Wandoan South Big Battery, thanks to ING Australia. The international bank is increasingly financing green energy projects, but this is the first standalone battery project it has financed in the Asia Pacific. Vena Energy Australia says this phase is just the beginning of a project that is to feature 650 MW of solar PV and 450 MW of battery storage.

Australia’s first utility-scale vanadium flow battery will be built in South Australia. It will demonstrate the tech’s potential to provide energy and frequency control ancillary services for the national grid.

The Narellan Town Centre, a shopping mall outside of Sydney, is set to undergo a AUD 40 million (USD 29.9 million) solar transformation with the signing of a 30-year energy partnership with CEP.Energy.

Australia’s largest shopping mall plans to install more than 400 solar-shaded parking bays as part of a multimillion-dollar parking lot upgrade.

Small-footprint solar farms can get a purchase on distribution lines, they’re virtually pop-up in terms of construction times, and they offer a smart development model that can be easily repeated. The Solarion Renewable Fund wants to let investors in on its clean little secret.

The New South Wales state government’s push toward renewable energy continues to gather momentum, as the Independent Planning Commission has approved a multimillion-dollar, 500 MW solar project.

The Australian Energy Market Commission has launched an independent review into the rules governing electricity meters, to determine what needs to be done to accelerate smart meter deployment.

Engie has published the findings of its long-awaited feasibility study with Yara on the development of renewable hydrogen and ammonia. They plan to build new large-scale facilities in Western Australia, starting with a 10 MW solar farm and electrolyzer.