Photon offloads solar farm to focus on ‘solar-hydro’ technology in Australia
Netherlands-based renewables developer Photon Energy has reaffirmed its commitment to Australian tech company RayGen Resources’ innovative ‘solar-hydro’ technology, offloading its majority stake in the 160 MWdc Maryvale Solar Farm so it can focus its future development activities in Australia on large-scale projects featuring the solar-plus-storage technology.
BHP looks to use 35-tonne blocks to store renewable energy for its WA operations
An agreement with Energy Vault may see resource company BHP stack 35-tonne blocks to store wind and solar energy in the Pilbara, northern Western Australia.
Wollongong researchers’ graphene discovery to unlock cheaper, more efficient li-ion batteries
Researchers at the University of Wollongong say they have discovered a new form of graphene which will improve both anode and cathode materials in lithium-ion batteries, making them cheaper and more efficient. Collaborating with Sicona, the company has agreed to buy all the researchers’ intellectual property relating to the new material.
Greenspot lodges DA for massive 500 MW battery at former coal-fired power plant
New South Wales-based development company Greenspot has lodged a planning application for a massive 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage system to be built at the site of the shuttered coal-fired Wallerawang Power Station near Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.
Shell buys solar and storage company Savion from Australia’s Macquarie Green Investment Group
The transaction, for which Shell did not reveal the purchase price, will see the energy company pick up a U.S. project development pipeline which reportedly runs to more than 18 GW of solar generation and energy storage capacity across 26 states.
Construction begins on the 100 MW Capital battery in Canberra
Neoen today announced construction has begun on its 100 MW/200 MWh Capital Battery, which doubled from its initial 50 MW capacity proposed last year. The battery is to be built 10km southeast of the Australian capital, Canberra.
Storing solar power with compressed carbon dioxide
An Italian company has developed a system that can store energy from wind, solar and grid electricity by compressing and using CO2 without any emissions. The system draws CO2 from an inflatable atmospheric gas holder, stores it, and uses it to produce power again, when demand for stored energy arises.
Hitachi wins tender for Darwin-Katherine ‘Big Battery’, set to pay for itself within five years
Hitachi Energy has won Northern Territory Labor’s tender for the Darwin-Katherine ‘Big Battery’, which is expected to unlock more capacity for residential and industrial PV, generate cost savings of $9.8 million and pay for itself in approximately five years.
Grid stability and 100% renewables
New research from Stanford University professor Mark Jacobson seeks to remove any doubts about grid stability in a world powered entirely by renewable energy. The latest study models 100% wind water and solar powered grids across the United States, finding no risk of blackouts in any region and also broad benefits in cost reduction, job creation and land use.
Saturday read: China’s path to 100 GW
China is once again the focus of attention across the global solar PV industry. The country’s manufacturers have had a turbulent 2021, but domestic demand remains strong, particularly from the booming residential rooftop segment. Despite the supply challenges, China will likely reach 50 GW this year and possibly even 100 GW next year. Given the dynamic market and policy landscape, pv magazine publisher Eckhart K. Gouras recently caught up with long-time China solar expert Frank Haugwitz, the founder of the Asia Europe Clean Energy (Solar) Advisory (AECEA).
