Singapore could import large quantities of low-cost solar power from neighbouring countries using undersea cables, with the indicative cost being competitive with gas generation. Unlimited world-class pumped hydro energy storage is available in neighbouring countries in the range 50-5000 GWh to support very large scale transmission.

French energy company TotalEnergies has won approval from the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission for a 320 MW solar farm and 320 MW / 780 MWh battery energy storage system to be built in the state’s New England region.

Renewable energy development is forecast to reach $20 billion annually by 2026/27, driving “unprecedented expansion” of Australia’s utilities construction sector over the next three years.

Australian electricity and gas provider Alinta Energy has hired Malaysian engineering group Gamuda and European civil engineering outfit Ferrovial Construction to help it progress the design of its 900 MW, eight-hour duration Oven Mountain pumped hydro project in New South Wales.

The federal government says new standards have been approved that will allow vehicle-to-grid charging in Australia – enabling electric vehicles to not only charge but also supply power back to homes or the electricity grid – by the end of the year.

The New South Wales government has given final planning approval for a 250 MW solar farm and 150 MW / 600 MWh battery energy storage system being developed by Canadian Solar in the state’s Southern Tablelands region.

Australia is in the middle of an historic transition away from fossil fuels to renewable energy and this transition is not without challenges. Investment in new, large-scale renewable energy capacity has been slowed by grid bottlenecks, slow planning approvals, rising costs, and a lack of alignment between energy supply and demand. This has many experts fearing Australia will not meet its ambitious 2030 climate targets.

Investment in large-scale renewable energy generation continues to trend upwards in Australia with more than 1.4 GW of new solar and wind projects, worth $3.3 billion, reaching financial commitment in the third quarter of 2024.

If you talk to any politician or even some sustainability experts, the one thing most of them will point to as we transition our electric vehicles on the road to net zero is a need to update the grid.

A study on the potential benefits of co-locating solar energy generation and sheep grazing shows those that graze in the shade of solar panels may produce better quality wool than those on traditional agricultural properties.