Installations

Victorian company United Solar Group, which is developing a floating 700 MW solar and 1.5 GWh battery project at the Poonakary Lake in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka, has had a Power Purchase Agreement approved by the Sri Lankan cabinet.

The NSW Independent Planning Commission on Monday approved the 215 MW Oxley Solar Farm and coupled 50 MW/50 MWh battery in Armidale, enforcing a number of conditions on the project in response to significant community backlash.

Tasmania’s largest hybrid solar proposal, the 288 MW Northern Midlands Solar Farm being developed by startup TasRex, was approved by the Northern Midlands Council on December 11. The agrivoltaic project, which will host a flock of sheep beneath its panels, is seeking to be operational by 2026, and includes a 346 MW / 691 MWh battery.

Australian oil and gas producer Woodside Energy’s plans to install up to one million solar panels and a grid-scale battery in Western Australia’s Pilbara region is a step closer to realisation after the project won local development approval.

The Queensland government has indicated it will support the increased rollout of household battery energy storage systems with a new $24 million (USD 15.75 million) residential battery rebate program set to be launched in 2024.

Western Australian government-owned utility Synergy’s plan to build a 500 MW/2,000 MWh battery energy storage system in the state’s southwest to improve system security and support increased renewable energy generation in the main grid has been given the tick of approval by planning authorities.

A report from Ernst & Young shows that despite inflationary pressures, solar remains the cheapest source of new-build electricity. The global weighted average levelised cost of electricity for PV is now 29% lower than the cheapest fossil fuel alternative.

Australian commercial solar outfit CleanPeak Energy will deliver at least four new solar farms in regional New South Wales after striking a green energy deal with the state government that will ensure the long-term carbon neutrality of Sydney’s Barangaroo precinct.

A “major influx” of new renewable generation and storage capacity is poised to connect to Australia’s main grid with the energy market operator revealing almost 150 projects representing more than 31 GW of new capacity are in the application and pre-registration stages.

Victorian network operator AusNet has commenced construction of a transmission network upgrade that is expected to reduce generation constraints and improve network stability in the state’s southwest, unlocking 1.5 GW of additional renewable energy generation capacity.