New England big battery awarded $12.5 million state government grant
The 50 MWh battery will be colocated with stage 1 of the UPC/AC Renewables’ 720 MW New England Solar Farm.
Bomen Solar Farm goes fully online despite Covid-19 delays
The 120 MW solar project near Wagga Wagga in New South Wales, the first renewable energy asset in the portfolio of network owner Spark Infrastructure, has achieved a critical milestone in the face of market challenges and delays.
Engie renewable PPA starts greening Australia’s mining-industry supply chain
Weir Minerals Australia, a supplier of engineered solutions to the mining industry, has achieved electricity price stability and savings, and taken a first big leap towards sustainability with the signing of an innovative power purchase agreement with energy provider Engie.
CEFC to shift focus from renewables to grid, hydrogen projects
The Australian government’s green bank intends to move beyond solar and wind investment over the coming year and put its capital to work in the nascent green hydrogen industry and grid projects.
FRV’s Goonumbla Solar Farm fully operational despite market challenges
The Spanish developer has successfully completed the 69.75 MW solar farm in New South Wales which is contracted under a power purchase agreement with government-owned retailer Snowy Hydro.
Shell Australia acquires carbon farming business Select Carbon
The Anglo-Dutch power company will buy Perth-based environmental specialist Select Carbon as part of a broader ambition to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 or sooner.
Sterling and Wilson: Europe will be our next stop
Having bagged large orders in the U.S. and Australia, Indian multinational engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) services provider Sterling and Wilson Solar is bidding for tenders in new regions, Europe among them. Kannan Krishnan, S&W’s chief operations officer for solar in India and the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation area, speaks to pv magazine about the impact of Covid-19 on the solar EPC business and the company’s expansion plans.
Relocatable solar mounts to reduce big-solar install costs by 30%
A Perth-based innovator has designed a secure solar-panel mounting system that enables super-fast installation of medium-to-large-scale projects, and lets them be relocated as needed.
Hornsdale posts big first-half revenue for Neoen, solar remains consistent despite poor conditions
Neoen’s Hornsdale Power Reserve has gone to work in the first half of 2020, virtually tripling the French renewables developer’s storage revenue on comparative 2019 levels. However, this growth was largely caused by a one-off event, and a slower Q2 highlights the need for FCAS policy renewal. Neoen’s Australian solar revenues could also achieve little more than consistency thanks to poor conditions.
AEMO’s 2020 ISP: A roadmap to the world’s fastest energy transition
If it was designed with a focus on reliability, security and the lowest cost for consumers, Australia’s main electricity grid would see periods in which nearly 90% of demand is met by renewable generation. A diverse portfolio of distributed energy resources and large-scale solar and wind generation supported mainly by pumped hydro and batteries would ensure the least-cost transition as the nation’s coal plants retire. Adequate investment in transmission infrastructure will be instrumental in making this a reality.
