Maoneng has secured approval for its 225MWp / 450MWh Gould Creek Battery Energy Storage System project near Adelaide, a significant milestone for the Australian company’s recent pivot towards utility-scale storage projects.

A number of Australian battery material recovery projects got off the ground this week, including the completion of Western Australian outfit Neometal’s battery recycling demonstration plant, a Queensland-Japanese joint venture studying the extraction of cobalt from copper tailings as well as the funding of Sydney-based startup Novalith.

Compressed hydrogen ship maker Global Energy Ventures will develop a 2.8 GW green hydrogen export project on the Tiwi Islands, off the coast of the Northern Territory. It says the project will demonstrate the simplicity and efficiency of compressed hydrogen for Asia-Pacific supply chains, and will of course use a fleet of its own hydrogen-powered and hydrogen carrying 430-tonne ships.

Hydrogen vehicle maker H2X has today announced a deal with Gippsland Circular Economy Precinct which will see the pair manufacture a range of hydrogen-focussed products in Victoria’s Gippsland region. The move comes less than a week after Pure Hydrogen bought a significant stake in H2X Global.

Australians are overjoyed at the Morrison government’s strong, detailed plan to get the nation to net zero by 2050… nah, just kidding. In the last 24 hours, the internet has erupted with criticism, scolding everything from the plan’s font, to its copyright date, and mind bogglingly vacancy. Here are some of the best reactions so far…

The lack of detail surrounding oil and gas giant Woodside’s hydrogen and ammonia facility in Kwinana announced yesterday has raised suspicions, with groups pointing out the news coincides with the company’s recently approved Scarborough gas project off the Western Australian coast.

While prime minister Scott Morrison’s preparation for COP26 has been shrouded in controversy, a new survey into coal mining communities’ sentiments toward renewable energy reveals widespread support for the transition. The revelation comes as WWF-Australia also released findings from its expert survey, illustrating the federal government’s lack of ambition is considered the main hurdle slowing an otherwise perfectly poised transition.

Big rooftop PV systems on factories, warehouses and public buildings need not be limited by ownership issues nor local grid capacity, claims Australian innovator EleXsys Energy. The company is maxing out an Ikea in Adelaide, Australia, with solar and storage. And it claims its smart technology can allow the same to be done elsewhere.

Australia’s largest wholesale solar distributor is expecting shortfalls of supply coupled with 20% to 30% cost increases as a result of the energy crisis in China. The situation in Australia is particularly fragile, pv magazine Australia was told, with our low pricing and the comparable size of our market not playing to our favour in the global battle for solar supplies.

The New South Wales government at long last released its hydrogen strategy today. The wait, according to hydrogen expert Andrew Horvath, has been worthwhile. He described the strategy as clever in its approach to drawing longterm hydrogen investment into the state. “It’s a little bit different the way [NSW] looked at it,” he told pv magazine Australia, refuting the strategy’s branding as less ambitious than other states.