Ahead of the impending closure of the coal-fired Eraring Power Station, the New South Wales Government has given the planning green light for the largest committed battery energy storage system in the southern hemisphere.

A combined 60 MW of solar and 25 MWh of energy storage will be deployed at military sites across Australia as part of a government strategy to increase energy independence and security at the country’s Department of Defence facilities.

The Australian Energy Market Operator this week released an update to its annual assessment of reliability, the so-called Electricity Statement of Opportunities. This has been reported as the market operator forecasting “power shortages”, or the network being “at risk of supply shortages”.

Australian nanotechnology company Nanoveu has developed a multifunctional anti-soiling coating for solar glass that is designed to inhibit surface debris and algae growth from forming on PV panels.

EnergyAustralia’s growing appetite for grid-scale energy storage shows no signs of abating with the gen-tailer announcing it has received approval to construct a 350 MW four-hour battery in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley where its Yallourn coal mine and power station are set to close in 2028.

International oil giant Shell has provided New South Wales startup MGA Thermal with “gamechanger” funding to accelerate the completion of a commercial-scale pilot plant designed to demonstrate the role the company’s energy storage technology could play in the Australian energy market.

The Victorian government has provided its seal of approval to accelerate the development of a new high-capacity transmission line that will facilitate the increased flow of electricity between the Victorian and New South Wales grids, helping to maintain power supply reliability as coal-fired generation declines and retires.

The New South Wales Labor Party plans to tip in $1 billion (USD 690 million) to create a state-owned energy corporation which will partner with the private sector to accelerate investment in pumped hydro, community batteries and renewables to support the state’s energy transition.

Western Australian clean energy developer Infinite Green Energy will partner with South Korean industrial conglomerate Samsung C&T to develop and build a commercial-scale green hydrogen project that will leverage the existing 11 MW Northam Solar Farm east of Perth.

Dan Lee learns about energy poverty, and some of the unique challenges of the transition during a trip to Timor-Leste as part of a delegation of eight students from the University of Queensland’s Master of Sustainable Energy program.