David Carroll
Perth contractor lands $160 million contract for Collie battery
State-owned energy utility Synergy has awarded the construction and balance of plant contract for the 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Collie battery energy storage system being built in Western Australia’s southwest.
Rooftop solar install rates tracking 7% up on 2023
New data from market firm SunWiz shows Australian households and businesses installed a further 262 MW of solar on their rooftops during the month of April, pushing the year-to-date total up 7% on the corresponding time last year.
Report calls for planning reforms as 20 GW of renewables added to project pipeline
Data from international consultancy Rystad Energy shows that 82 new renewable energy generation and battery storage projects corresponding to more than 20 GW of capacity were proposed across Australia’s National Electricity Market in the first quarter of 2024, with developers largely focused on Queensland and New South Wales.
WA pumps $26.4 million into clean energy manufacturing sector
Western Australia’s rollout of solar-based standalone power systems is set to continue with the state government announcing a $26.4 million funding package to drive local manufacturing of components needed for clean energy projects.
Lithium-sulphur battery player claims to have nailed safety standards
Queensland battery tech company Li-S Energy claims to have taken a significant step towards proving the safety of its semi-solid-state lithium sulfur batteries with the third-generation technology successfully passing a series of nail penetration tests.
Powercor targets transmission licence to bring more renewables online
Victorian electricity distributor Powercor is seeking a licence to build new transmission infrastructure in a move it claims will provide faster grid connections for major projects such as solar and wind farms within its current distribution network area.
Redflow lands second US defence battery contract
Queensland flow battery company Redflow has won a second deal with the United States Department of Defence to supply a non-lithium energy storage solution that will be deployed to improve energy security at a major naval base in Italy.
No threat to farm land: just 1,200 square kilometres can fulfil Australia’s solar and wind energy needs
As Australia’s rapid renewable energy rollout continues, so too does debate over land use. Nationals Leader David Littleproud, for example, claimed regional areas had reached “saturation point” and cannot cope with more wind and solar farms and transmission lines.
Victorian solar installer fined $40,000 for ignoring falls risk
A Victorian solar installation company that “repeatedly” put workers at risk when working at height has been convicted of failing to provide or maintain a safe workplace and fined $40,000.
Akaysha fast tracks 710 MWh of battery projects with new financing
Akaysha Energy has secured $250 million in new financing that will accelerate the development of two large-scale battery projects in Queensland set to add a combined 710 MWh of energy storage capacity to the National Electricity Market.
