Australia’s biggest electricity ‘gen-tailer’ AGL is one step closer to energising its 250 MW/250 MWh grid-scale battery at South Australia’s Torrens Island after receiving the tick of approval from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

New Zealand renewables developer Lodestone Energy’s plans to develop an initial suite of five large-scale solar farms with a combined generation capacity of more than 365 GWh per annum has reached another milestone with construction beginning on the second of the projects.

Venture capital fund Macquarie Group’s new battery storage platform Eku Energy has been tapped by the Australian Capital Territory government to deliver the next stage of the Big Canberra Battery ‘ecosystem’ which will support the ongoing rollout of large-scale renewables and rooftop solar.

Sun Cable’s troubled $30-plus billion (USD 20 billion) mega solar and storage project has received a welcome boost with resources company Tivan announcing it has penned a deal with the developer for the potential offtake of up to 300 MW of renewable electricity to support a planned critical minerals processing facility in the Northern Territory.

French power electronics specialist Schneider Electric has announced the Australian launch of a new electric vehicle charger that incorporates new features aimed at making at-home charging easier to install and more cost-effective to use.

A Victorian solar installer that ignored a seven-metre fall risk on a job site in Geelong has been convicted and ordered to pay almost $40,000 after pleading guilty to three charges under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.

Three years after French renewable energy developer Neoen first broke ground at the site of its Western Downs Green Energy Hub in Queensland’s Western Downs region, the last of the more than one million panels has been installed as the 400 MW solar farm nears 100% completion.

Annual investment in renewable energy construction in Australia is forecast to jump almost 50% this year and continue to climb to a peak in 2026 with historically high levels of activity to follow as the country continues its transition away from fossil fuel-fired power generation.

Western Australian battery technology company Altech Batteries has included “game-changing” sodium chloride technology in the design of its new battery 1 MWh GridPack which is expects will be up to 40% cheaper to produce than the dominant lithium-ion alternatives.

Horizon Power’s push to electrify the town of Esperance has reached a major milestone with the Western Australian coastal community’s reticulated gas supply switched off as part of a move that the state government expects will serve as a “blueprint” for other electrification works around the country.