Australian green hydrogen production for export and domestic use could generate more than $50 billion in 2050 but how close are we really to a green hydrogen industry? And which states are best placed to host it? Swinburne University of Technology senior research fellow Steven Percy examines Australia’s green hydrogen marketplace.

Construction of a new $2.3 billion electricity interconnector that will link the South Australian and New South Wales energy networks is expected to commence early this year following the South Australian Government’s approval of the project’s Environmental Impact Statement.

The much-delayed Sunraysia Solar Farm is seemingly a step closer to commencing production – more than 24 months behind schedule – with Australian engineering firm Decmil Group confirming the PV project has been given the green light following the successful completion of the required hold point testing.

Japanese trading house Sojitz Corporation has announced it will collaborate with Queensland government-owned utility CS Energy and Nippon Engineering Consultants on a project to transport green hydrogen produced in Australia to the Pacific Island nation of Palau in a bid to reduce a reliance on fossil fuels.

The world’s largest coal port is now powered by 100% renewable energy after the Port of Newcastle confirmed it had inked a deal with the Australian arm of Spanish energy group Iberdrola which will see the port’s entire operational needs powered by renewable generation.

British solar PV project investor Foresight Solar Fund continues to build its Australian renewable energy portfolio, acquiring 100% ownership of the 30 MW Oakey 1 and 17 MW Longreach solar farms in Queensland.

Australia’s largest roof-mounted solar PV system – featuring an incredible 27,000 panels spread across almost 8 hectares of rooftop – is nearing completion with the massive 10 MWdc system set to commence operation this week.

The Australian clean energy arm of the world’s largest zinc, lead, and silver producer has snapped up Sydney-based renewable energy developer Epuron in a deal that will give it access to a potential 9 GW of wind and solar PV generation.

Solar installers are to play a key role in a unique ‘reverse logistics’ model which researchers from the University of New South Wales believe can help deliver an economically viable national recycling strategy as the number of decommissioned solar PV modules coming off Australian rooftops continues to grow.

Netherlands-based renewables developer Photon Energy has reaffirmed its commitment to Australian tech company RayGen Resources’ innovative ‘solar-hydro’ technology, offloading its majority stake in the 160 MWdc Maryvale Solar Farm so it can focus its future development activities in Australia on large-scale projects featuring the solar-plus-storage technology.