Consultation is now open on the design of the federal government’s $2 billion (USD 1.33 billion) Hydrogen Headstart program that is aimed at bridging “the commercial gap for early projects” and placing Australia on course to develop 1 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030 through two to three flagship projects.

A 325 MW/2,600 MWh pumped hydro project planned for the New South Wales central west faces an indefinite delay with developer Atco announcing it will hold off on the next stage of the regulatory approvals process until the state government’s policy frameworks “are close to being able to support financial investment decisions for large-scale infrastructure.”

Brazilian renewables developer Elera Renováveis has commissioned the 1.2 GW Janaúba solar complex in the nation’s southeast. The facility, which went online this week, consists of 20 solar parks spread across 3,000 hectares.

Australia and Indonesia are forging closer economic ties built on what each country can offer the other in the transition to clean energy. Indonesia is emerging as a maker of electric vehicles and the batteries that power them. Australia has the lithium reserves Indonesia needs to do this.

New South Wales network operator Ausgrid has installed its first pole-mounted battery energy storage system as part of a trial which will examine the viability of the technology to better manage the increasing penetration of rooftop solar and periods of peak demand on the network.

The Western Australian government has moved to fast track the approvals process for green energy projects with a new cross-agency pathway for environmental assessments forecast to reduce project approval timeframes.

The federal government will establish a review into how renewable energy infrastructure projects are planned as it looks to smooth the way for the expansion of the grid that is seen as critical to Australia’s transition from coal to renewables.

Australian commercial solar outfit CleanPeak Energy continues to build out its utility-scale PV portfolio, announcing it has achieved financial close on the 40 MWp Wangaratta Solar Farm being developed in northern Victoria.

Construction has started on Western Australia’s second grid-scale battery in Kwinana as the state government looks to scale up energy storage capacity to support its planned transition from coal-fired power to renewables.

Australian miner QEM has shortlisted three non-binding indicative bids to develop, own and operate a proposed 1 GW of wind and solar energy to power its planned vanadium mining and oil shale project near Julia Creek in northwest Queensland.