Inverters

Australian renewable gen-tailer Zen Energy has officially broken ground on its first utility-scale battery project, the 111 MW / 290 MWh Templers energy storage system being built near Gawler in South Australia.

Australian battery technology startup Relectrify plans to scale up the adoption of its cell-level battery control technology by international manufacturers of grid-scale and commercial and industrial battery energy storage systems after closing a multi-million dollar round of funding.

Wood Mackenzie says in its latest report that low prices and integrated supply chains allow Chinese manufacturers to supply more than 65% of total global demand for renewables equipment, with its exports growing by 35% between 2019 and 2023.

CleanPeak Energy has selected Chinese manufacturer Sungrow to provide the inverter and battery technology for a 5 MW rooftop PV and 11 MWh battery energy storage system being installed atop biscuit manufacturer Arnott’s Group’s production facility in western Sydney.

Spending on building renewable energy infrastructure is forecast to peak at $20 billion in 2026, stimulated by the Australian government’s target of 82% electricity from renewables by 2030, but caution remains over workforce capability.

Australian Energy Minister Chris Bowen believes the federal government’s $1 billion Solar Sunshot initiative could result in domestic manufacturing providing 20% of the nation’s PV panel needs by the end of the decade.

Renewable energy developer Acciona Energia has tapped fellow Spanish company Ingeteam to provide its power conversion and control technology for the 380 MW Aldoga Solar Farm being constructed in Queensland.

The federal government will invest $22.7 billion in its Future Made in Australia initiative over the next decade to maximise the economic and industrial benefits of the international shift to net zero and support Australia to become a renewable energy superpower.

Italian energy giant Enel Green Power says the commissioning of the 93 MW Girgarre Solar Farm in central Victoria is now underway with the power plant expected to be fully operational early next year.

Economic cooperation between India and Australia may open doors for investment in clean energy technology but challenges still abound in a competitive global market. Vibhuti Garg and Shantanu Srivastava, of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, discuss the role that public funding and resource pooling could play in supporting manufacturing ambitions.