Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ plan to build a ‘state-of-the-art’ polysilicon manufacturing plant in north Queensland has taken a step forward with Australian Silica Quartz starting a drilling program at a planned mine site that could provide feedstock for the proposed multibillion-dollar facility.

Australian mining and energy giant Fortescue announced last week that its ambitious green energy goal – to produce 15 million tonnes of renewable hydrogen annually by 2030 – will be placed on hold.

Australian software developer PV Lighthouse has secured almost $2 million in federal to drive the continued development of its SunSolve Yield advanced simulation engine that is designed to improve yield forecasting for utility-scale solar projects.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists Australia is “on track” to become a global renewable hydrogen superpower despite mining billionaire and green hydrogen advocate Andrew Forrest signalling a major slowdown of Fortescue’s ambitions.

Plans to build another grid-scale four-hour capacity battery energy storage system near the central Queensland town of Gladstone have been submitted to the local council as developer Akaysha Energy continues build up an impressive portfolio of battery storage projects.

The way has been cleared for a new generation of solar, wind and hydro projects to be developed in Tasmania with the state government lifting the legislative cap restricting Hydro Tasmania from building or partnering in new large-scale energy generation facilities.

Electricity generator and retailer Nova Energy is moving ahead with what is to be New Zealand’s largest solar farm after receiving the green light to build a 400 MW PV power plant near Taupō in the centre of the country’s North Island.

Adelaide Airport has revealed plans to install a new 2.3 MW PV system on its domestic and international terminal roof, nearly tripling the size of its existing rooftop solar capacity and significantly scaling up its on-site renewable energy generation.

Rio Tinto, the nation’s biggest iron ore miner, has reached agreement with Ngarluma traditional owners to pursue the development of an 80 MW solar farm as part of the company’s efforts to decarbonise its vast iron ore operations in Western Australia.

SunCable’s flagship Australia-Asia Power Link project, the largest intercontinental renewable energy and transmission project in development in the world, is a step closer to realisation after securing the tick of approval from environmental regulators.