The Australian Capital Territory’s first network of neighbourhood batteries is now complete with Evoenergy powering up a 450 kWh battery energy storage system in Canberra’s inner north to help futureproof the city’s electricity grid.

With demand for low- or zero-emission logistics ratcheting up, cold-chain transport specialist Protran Solutions says a refrigerated trailer operating entirely on battery-electric power charged by solar has successfully completed a more than 1,600-kilometre trial run along Australia’s east coast.

Victoria-headquartered renewables developer and electricity retailer Flow Power has added another solar and battery project to its portfolio with the acquisition of the Dunedoo Energy Project planned for central west New South Wales.

Solar battery installers have been warned to “do it once and do it well” as the number of batteries installed across Australia under the federal government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program surges past the 250,000 milestone, delivering a combined 6.3 GWh of capacity.

Construction has officially commenced on a network upgrade in the New South Wales Upper Hunter that is to boost transfer capacity in the region by at least 1 GW by 2028 in support of the state’s renewable energy transition.

In the past 12 to 18 months, the NEM’s battery fleet has well and truly crossed the chasm from early adoption to mainstream acceptance, and is slowly becoming a key force in shaping dynamics in the physical market. The build-out is large, the pace of development has been relatively rapid, and — as we saw in AGL and Origin’s half-year results two weeks ago — battery earnings are becoming more of a focal point in company updates and strategy.

Pumped hydro continues to push for a place in Australia’s energy transition with the New South Wales government recently declaring two multi-billion-dollar projects Critical State Significant Infrastructure.

New South Wales electricity distributor Ausgrid has added another centralised community battery to its portfolio, powering up a combined 10 MW energy storage system in the southwest Sydney suburb of Bankstown.

Australia’s national science agency has launched a major revamp of its renewable energy research facility in Newcastle to provide new capacity for researchers and industry to test how technologies such as solar, wind, batteries and electric vehicles can integrate reliably into the grid.

Australian Solar Enterprises has submitted plans for a new large-scale solar and battery project in Queensland for federal environmental approval, saying the 400 MW solar farm will utilise a ground-mounted racking system that eliminates the need for concrete foundations and permanent footings.