Core Lithium’s Finniss Lithium Project just south of Darwin’s Port opened this week, supplying battery-grade lithium to electric vehicle giant Tesla, among others. Core Lithium plans to open processing facilities at the site by early next year.

A German startup backed by major European entrepreneurs and brands this week began the first of many strategic acquisitions in Australia, seeking to create a cross-country network and become a ‘one stop shop’ for renewable technologies with a major marketshare. Chris Williams, the founder of Natural Solar and now the CEO of 1komma5’s APAC arm, told pv magazine Australia the goal is to become the “Apple store of energy” – an opportunity he believes is well within reach given the institutional capital and scale behind the German outfit.

Australian outfit BESS Research is teaming up with CellCube, owned by Austria’s Enerox, to target Australian commercial and industrial projects for the potential use of vanadium redox flow batteries.

French renewables developer Neoen has completed the financing for its 100 MW / 200 MWh Capital Battery in Canberra, declaring the project is on track to be operational in the first half of 2023.

From 2023, PepsiCo Australia will trial a hydrogen fuelled heavy duty truck at one of its Brisbane manufacturing sites. The trial is in partnership with Pure Hydrogen, a company positioning itself as a supplier of both hydrogen powered vehicles via leasing arrangements, as well as hydrogen itself.

The Queensland government is looking to jumpstart a local renewable energy equipment manufacturing sector, today calling on electrical manufacturing businesses to register their interest in supplying the thousands of batteries, wind turbines, solar panels, and kilometres of transmission lines the state says it will need to enact its $62 billion energy transformation plan.

Australian gold miner Bellevue Gold has entered an agreement with distributed energy provider Energy Developments Pty Ltd for an off-grid solar, wind, and battery hybrid power station for the flagship project it is developing in central Western Australia.

New South Wales has today opened the first in what’s to be a decade of rolling tenders, part of the state’s momentous vision of fitting out 12 GW of renewable energy capacity and 2 GW of storage by 2030.

Western Australian developer Frontier Energy has shortlisted two EPC contractors for its Bristol Springs 114 MW solar and, eventually, green hydrogen project south of Perth.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has launched a $62 billion energy and jobs plan, which includes the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world. The government is also planning to convert publicly owned coal-fired power stations into clean energy hubs from 2027.