In a new monthly column for pv magazine, the International Solar Energy Society (ISES) explains why potential trade disruptions in the global PV supply chain are substantially different from those related to coal, oil and gas.

The owner of a 360 MW solar farm and 600 MWh battery energy storage project being developed near Mortlake in southwest Victoria said it has received grid connection approval that paves the way for the next stage of development.

The latest quarterly report from the country’s energy market operator shows the role of batteries in supporting demand peaks in the National Electricity Market is on the rise, with average generation in those periods more than doubling since the same time last year.

The way has been cleared for construction to begin on a 250 MW / 500 MWh battery energy storage system that will help “future proof” the Australian Capital Territory’s energy supply by reducing the load on Canberra’s electricity network and increasing network reliability.

Renewable energy solutions provider Smart Commercial Solar has unveiled a “ground-breaking” hybrid microgrid that combines 3.98 MW of PV, 4.4 MWh of battery energy storage and an 11 kV private distribution network to help power a large-scale poultry farm in southwest New South Wales.

Electricity and gas provider Alinta Energy has received the tick of approval from the Western Australian government to begin construction of a second battery energy storage facility at Wagerup in the state’s southwest.

Western Australia has locked in federal government funding to build a minimum 6.5 TWh of large-scale solar and wind projects and 1.1 GW of new storage to help ensure the electricity grid remains stable as the state continues its renewable energy transition.

The Australian arm of Philippines-based energy company Acen Corporation has launched the approvals process for a major grid-connected solar and battery energy storage project to be built near the town of Cooma in the New South Wales Snowy Mountains region.

Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ plan to build a ‘state-of-the-art’ polysilicon manufacturing plant in north Queensland has taken a step forward with Australian Silica Quartz starting a drilling program at a planned mine site that could provide feedstock for the proposed multibillion-dollar facility.

Australian mining and energy giant Fortescue announced last week that its ambitious green energy goal – to produce 15 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually by 2030 – will be placed on hold.