Energy Storage

Following Carnegie Clean Energy’s voluntary administration, the administrators have revealed the bids its solar microgrid arm managed to attract. Meanwhile, a plan to restructure the company’s core wave power business has been approved by creditors, along with a decision to liquidate the EMC business.

While lithium ion or even flow battery projects continue to dominate headlines, a report published today has highlighted the continuing role being played by lead acid battery storage. The report from the U.S.-based Consortium for Battery Innovation (CBI) illustrates how lead-acid batteries are being applied to a wide range of applications, and use cases, today.

Australia’s biggest power producer has secured the right to develop, own and operate a massive pumped hydro energy storage project at Hillgrove Resources’ Kanmantoo copper mine in South Australia’s Adelaide Hills region.

Solar could meet approximately 68% of global energy demand with other renewables making up the rest, according to a new report. A 100% renewable energy system could also create 22 million solar jobs by 2050, the study claims. Keeping global warming below 1.5 degrees C, though, would require FITs for projects up to 40 MW in capacity, auctions for bigger systems, removing fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies and providing more education and R&D and less red tape.

Significant progress has been reported on the feasibility study which aims to progress the establishment of a 15 GWh lithium-ion battery factory in Townsville. The study is conducted by the Imperium3 Townsville consortium.

German battery maker sonnen is following its takeover by Shell with plans to expand its market reach. It says it will use the opportunity to jointly push the energy transition. With an eye on sustainability, sonnen has launched an industry-wide initiative to push cobalt-free lithium-ion batteries for home storage systems.

The University of New South Wales (UNSW), the birthplace of pioneering PV technologies, is now developing another innovative solution: a large-scale hybrid energy storage that will combine lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel cells. The first system will be installed at Risen Energy’s 121 MW Yarranlea Solar Farm in Queensland.

Construction has been completed on the Solar Energy Transformation Program (SETuP), which has been touted as Australia’s largest rollout of solar power to remote communities to date.

The Port Augusta concentrated solar power project billed as the world’s biggest has ground to a halt. Although it was granted additional time, U.S. firm SolarReserve failed to achieve financial close and proposed selling the 150 MW project to a third party.

From four to 24 hours: before solar and storage, the 160 households on a Philippine had electricity for only four hours each day. This had negative impacts on the economic development of the islands. With support from the ADB, the island inhabitants now have 24 hour supply of clean energy, and new billing methods that suit the economic realities of poorer households.