Energy Storage

Gold developer Calidus Resources has become the latest miner to decarbonise its Western Australian operations by installing a 19 MW hybrid solar PV-gas power system which in future could be up to a quarter fuelled by hydrogen.

Western Australian vanadium explorer Technology Metals Australia and Japanese vanadium redox flow battery producer LE System have decided to tighten their relationship with an expanded Memorandum of Understanding that could see the construction of Australia’s first fully integrated vanadium electrolyte plant proximate to renewable energy hubs and major Australian population centres.

Fortescue Future Industries has acquired Williams Advanced Engineering for $310 million as it looks to capitalise on its critical battery technology to cut emissions from its mining vehicles. An offshoot of the Williams Formula 1 Team, Williams Advanced Engineering has already helped to develop an electric mining haul truck for Fortescue in 2021.

Renewable energy developer Genex Power has announced that construction of a bold engineering project that will transform a retired gold mine site in north Queensland into a 250 MW/2 GWh pumped hydro energy storage facility is now ahead of schedule with underground works having commenced.

Queensland clean energy start-up Endua’s ambitious plan to manufacture modular hydrogen-powered energy generation and storage systems has been given a financial boost with the Federal Government providing the company with almost $1 million to help it commercialise the innovative technology.

Solar PV is helping power the world’s largest zircon mine with Western Australian-based independent power producer KPS Power Generation announcing it has completed the conversion of miner Iluka Resources’ 10 MW diesel-fuelled power station at the Jacinth-Ambrosia mineral sands operation in South Australia into a hybrid facility.

Australian investment manager Infrastructure Capital Group has stepped into the solar energy sector with the acquisition of a majority stake in a ~300 MW solar PV and energy storage portfolio from clean technology developer and investment firm Providence Asset Group.

Australian renewable energy developer Maoneng’s 240 MWp/480 MWh big battery project proposed for Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula is a step closer to realisation after it secured development approval from the state government.

Two Western Australian government funded studies into the transmission and storage of hydrogen have shown that the state’s main gas pipeline is, for large sections, ready for 9% hydrogen blending. However, in less promising news, another study found that the state’s underground storage capacity, including depleted oil and gas fields, are not proximate to the proposed 50GW Western Green Energy Hub or the 23GW Asian Renewable Energy Hub.

India’s production-linked incentive scheme for advance-chemistry battery cell production has received bids for 2.6 times more than the 50 GWh of manufacturing capacity it plans to allocate.