Race for NSW renewable energy zone role trimmed to three
Three groups of companies remain in the race to serve as network operator for Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone with the New South Wales government revealing its shortlist of candidates.
Victorian Big Battery drives major revenue jump for Neoen
The 300MW/450MWh Victorian big battery has proven a financial winner for French renewable power producer Neoen which has reported its first-quarter revenue has jumped by more than one third.
US startup claims hydrogen output for $1.2/kg or less via new water vapour electrolyser
Advanced Ionics has developed an electrolyser that runs at temperatures below 650 C. It is reportedly able to produce hydrogen for US$0.85/kg (AU$1.2/kg) or less. CEO Chad Mason recently spoke with pv magazine to provide a closer look at the water vapour electrolysis tech.
Maoneng reveals plans for 950MW solar-battery project
Australian energy developer Maoneng has unveiled ambitious plans to build an almost 1GW solar PV farm and battery energy storage facility in regional New South Wales.
Energy Vault signs deal with India for gravity-based energy storage
Switzerland’s Energy Vault will support Indian state-run power producer NTPC by deploying its gravity-based energy storage technology and software solutions.
Weekend read: Back to the future with BESS
Bearing witness during battery energy storage system manufacturing can reveal potential failure points and is crucial given the industry’s relative immaturity, argues Frédéric Dross, the vice-president of strategic development for quality assurance provider STS. And much can be learned from the early days of solar.
MIT, NREL researchers develop 40%-efficient thermophotovoltaic cell for grid-scale thermal batteries
The device is described as a heat engine with no moving parts that is able to produce power from a heat source of between 1,900 to 2,400 C. This concept is known as thermal energy grid storage (TEGS) and consists of a low-cost, grid-scale storage technology that uses thermophotovoltaic cells to convert heat to electricity above 2,000 C.
Bromine-based flow batteries for renewables storage
Bromine-based flow batteries have the potential for high energy density in renewable energy storage. Their commercial adoption, however, remains challenging due to the cathode materials used for their construction. New research from China seeks to shed light on how to overcome these hurdles.
Battery fire at Salt River Project in the US
Fire crews in Chandler, Arizona, sent robots into a building at the Salt River Project where a 10 MW battery was smouldering.
Long-duration storage solution based on saltwater
Developed by Dutch start-up AquaBattery, the storage technology is claimed to independently amend power and energy capacity. The battery system utilises three storage tanks, one with fresh water, one with concentrated salt water and one with diluted salt water, and also relies on membrane stacks.
