Utility Scale Storage

Australia’s ambitions to become a major player in global green hydrogen production and trade have received a boost with a new report from Geoscience Australia confirming the potential for large-scale, underground storage of hydrogen in salt caverns across the country.

German investment management company Aquila Capital has expanded its Antipodean asset base, inking a deal to buy a 220 MW/440 MWh portfolio of battery energy storage projects in South Australia from Spanish renewables developed Gransolar Group.

Perth-based battery technology company Lithium Australia’s 100%-owned subsidiary Envirostream has ramped up its battery recycling efforts, signing an agreement with South Korean manufacturer LG Energy Solutions to process at least 250 tonnes of its lithium-ion batteries over the next year.

A team of Australian scientists have developed a new way to produce hydrogen using water from the atmosphere. They claim their new module can ensure stable performance and provide green hydrogen for remote areas.

Australian battery manufacturer Redflow is determined to capitalise on what is describes as an emerging demand for non-lithium-based energy storage technology, announcing it has teamed with United States-based renewables developer Empower Energies to deploy solar and flow battery solutions in North America.

The National Renewable Energy Laboratory is exploring different paths to 100% emissions-free electricity in the United States.

Scientists compared hydrogen storage techniques and found that physical methods are closer to commercial feasibility, while materials-based techniques have strong potential.

New South Wales is seeking 2,500 GWh of annual generation and 600 MW of long-duration storage for its first tender, part of realising its ambitious NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

Brisbane-based bioenergy company LGI Limited has listed on the ASX, seeking to raise $25 million for expansions, including fitting sites with batteries capable of playing on spot markets. For the company’s founder, Adam Bloomer, the role of bioenergy in Australia only makes real sense when limited to waste. “If it’s is not a waste stream, I think you’re barking up the wrong tree,” he tells pv magazine Australia.

BMW Group said it is targeting the premium segment with its iX5 Hydrogen car, Topsoe revealed that it will invest US$267 million (AU$392m) to build the world’s largest SOEC electrolyzer plant in Denmark, and Bosch announced plans to invest US$200 million (AU$292m) in US fuel cell production.