Victoria unveils plans for Australia’s largest floating solar plant
Australia’s largest floating solar PV array is being installed in Victoria with Wannon Water announcing it will deploy a 500 kw system near the coastal city of Warrnambool as part of the state-government owned utility’s plans reduce its electricity costs and lower emissions.
Regulators reinforce need for ‘massive investment’ in energy sector
Australian energy regulators have called for urgent investments in renewable energy capacity and the transmission infrastructure needed to connect new projects to the grid as they look to ensure an orderly transition as coal-fired generation exits the National Electricity Market.
AGL Energy accelerates plan to abandon coal completely
Australia’s largest electricity generator AGL Energy is accelerating its exit from coal, announcing it will shut down the Loy Yang A power plant in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley a decade earlier than planned, with the company aiming to abandon coal completely by 2035.
WA Bristol Springs solar + hydrogen project edges toward EPC selection
Western Australian developer Frontier Energy has shortlisted two EPC contractors for its Bristol Springs 114 MW solar and, eventually, green hydrogen project south of Perth.
Queensland announces ‘biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world’
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has launched a $62 billion energy and jobs plan, which includes the biggest pumped hydro scheme in the world. The government is also planning to convert publicly owned coal-fired power stations into clean energy hubs from 2027.
‘The first terawatt of solar PV installed globally took some 70 years to achieve, while the second will likely take only three’
Leading solar researchers from around the world are meeting for the first time in four years in Milan, Italy, for the 8th World Conference on Photovoltaic Energy Conversion (WCPEC-8). The first morning has seen prestigious awards bestowed on two scientific leaders and inspirational discussions as to how the “second terawatt” of solar can be installed globally in just a handful of years.
Queensland charges ahead with big battery rollout
A new $8 million large-scale, network-connected battery at Tanby on Queensland’s Capricorn Coast is expected to help facilitate the continued integration of renewables, including rooftop solar PV, into the state’s energy system.
New Zealand fast tracks approvals process for 147 MW solar farm
British renewable energy firm Harmony Energy’s plan to develop a 147 MW solar farm on the North Island of New Zealand has been fast tracked with the country seeking to accelerate the roll out of renewable energy generation projects as it strives to reach net zero by 2050.
Oz Minerals moves on plans for ‘world’s largest’ off-grid hybrid project
South Australia resources company Oz Minerals has given the green light to a $1.7 billion copper and nickel project in Western Australia that is to be powered by a mix of solar PV and wind generation which the miner believes will become one of the largest, off-grid hybrid projects in the world.
IRENA highlights solar critical to ASEAN energy transition
Indonesia will have to get to work installing more than 24 GW of solar this year – and every year – if the region is to achieve the 2.1 TW to 2.4 TW of photovoltaics the International Renewable Energy Agency has estimated it will require to achieve a net zero carbon energy system by 2050.
