Employment

The Clean Energy Council will officially launch its Speakers Guide to Women in Renewables next week. Its intention is to accelerate industry development with diverse insights, and inspire young women to fill looming skills gaps in a booming field.

A survey run by the Clean Energy Council among senior executives, leading with a combined net worth of more than $17 billion, shows that clean energy investment confidence is strong. The majority of companies are looking to put on extra staff in the next year. However, challenges in achieving project grid connection and policy uncertainty are causing great stress in the long run.

All state and national approvals have been secured for a massive wind project in central Queensland. The 800 MW wind farm is part of a major renewable energy hybrid project, which is planned to include up to 400 MW of solar and a battery energy storage facility that have already secured state approval.

The University of Queensland has completed the purchase of the $125 Warwick Solar Farm in the Southern Downs region, making it the largest solar asset in ownership of an Australian university. Lendlease will act as developer on the project.

If maintained, Australia’s current rate of installs would deliver 78% renewables by 2030, find Green Energy Markets in its latest edition of RE Index. The 50% renewables target proposed by the the Federal Labor Party and several state Labor governments would thus deliver a sharp market decline, with installations falling to a third of recent rates and workforce shrinking by three quarters.

The German energy storage provider has begun assembling batteries at the former Holden site at Elizabeth in Adelaide’s north. The company has already hired 50 full-time employees.

Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group will invest $20 million into hydrogen research at Australian national science agency CSIRO’s Brisbane laboratories. The partnership aims to develop new technologies, create jobs, and capitalise on the economic opportunities associated with hydrogen.

After it entered the second trading halt in a matter of months a week ago, Perth-based engineering company RCR Tomlinson has failed to secure additional funding and went into administration. Earlier this year, the company managed to raise $100 million in capital from its shareholders, after which it took huge write-downs on two Queensland solar farm.

The Canadian battery manufacturer has been approved as the third battery storage provider for the South Australian Home Battery Scheme. Eguana plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Adelaide, creating up to 200 new jobs over the next three years.

The China-headquartered battery manufacturer has joined Germany’s sonnen as an exclusive approved battery storage provider for the South Australian Home Battery Scheme. Alpha-ESS plans to set up a manufacturing facility in Adelaide, where it will build more than 8000 batteries a year and create up to 120 jobs.