NT’s shift to solar takes step foward with big battery milestone
The shift from fossil fuels to renewables in Australia’s top end has taken a significant step forward with pre-commission testing having commenced on the 35 MW/35 MWh Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System that will support further uptake of solar among households and businesses in the Northern Territory.
Territory targets ‘renewable energy hub’ with budget spend
The Northern Territory government has committed $12 million (USD 8.05 million) in its latest budget to accelerate the development of a “sustainable” industrial hub that will be largely powered by renewables as it looks to continue the overhaul of its electricity system.
Influx of new companies and products enter Australia’s battery market
Battery companies hoping to get a foothold in Australia’s rapidly growing storage market were the main exhibitors at the Smart Energy Conference held in Sydney last week, outnumbering solar companies almost two-to-one. Pv magazine Australia looked at what is on offer and who the new hopefuls in the battery space are.
New entrants to Australia’s utility-scale and commercial battery market
While Australia’s home battery market seems to have attracted most of the interest from newcomers, there has been some significant new developments in the commercial and utility-scale space. Pv magazine Australia examined the new products and companies in the commercial and utility battery storage space on display at the Smart Energy Conference.
WA backs big batteries to support energy transition
The West Australian government will plough almost $3 billion (USD 2.03 billion) into renewable energy generation, storage and transmission projects with modelling revealing more than 50 GW of new generation and storage capacity will be required in the state’s main electricity grid within the next 20 years.
Shift to solar and storage signals major savings for rail project
Australia’s largest rail infrastructure project, the 1,700-kilometre Melbourne – Brisbane Inland Rail freight line, has made the switch to solar to power its signalling systems with the move expected to deliver an estimated $25 million (USD 16.93 million) in cost savings.
Construction completed on NSW’s biggest battery to date
Construction has been completed on what is, for now, New South Wales’ largest battery system. The 150 MW / 300 MWh Riverina and Darlington Point energy storage systems are made up of three co-located units and owned by private equity fund manager Federation Asset Management and Edify Energy.
Electrolysis cost-efficient in all climates, says Finnish team
Researchers at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland said that chemical energy storages were needed for short and long-term balancing in every climate region, especially in the northern climates. Meanwhile, companies are moving forward with their plans to produce hydrogen in Namibia and Morocco.
Key takeaways as big batteries in Australia hit 1 GW
Australia recently hit it first gigawatt of big battery storage, with another 40 GW in the projected pipeline. During the Smart Energy Conference, Marija Petkovic, founder and managing director of Energy Synapse, looked at what we’ve learned so far.
‘At least’ 500 MWh of DC-coupled batteries coming to east coast under new partnership
Chinese inverter and storage company Sungrow and Australian developer Green Gold Energy have signed an agreement to collaborate on “at least” 500 MWh of battery storage projects within the next three years – most to all of which will be DC-coupled. Relatively new to Australia’s grid-connected battery landscape, DC-coupled batteries will soon be able to trade on lucrative FCAS markets thanks to imminent rule changes, providing a firmer foothold for the technology in Australia.
