Energy Storage

With the clean energy transition driving a global increase in demand for critical minerals, the Queensland government has declared Townsville will be home to Australia’s first state-owned processing facility for critical minerals like vanadium.

Western Australian battery technology company Altech Batteries has updated the design of its 1 MWh sodium chloride battery energy storage system, paving the way for the modular units to be stacked three high, allowing for smaller project footprints that conserves valuable land area.

Australian-owned renewable energy investor and developer Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has signed a supply deal with Chinese battery manufacturer CATL that is expected to support the deployment of more than 10 GWh of energy storage systems over the next five years.

Researchers from the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) have used advanced neutron scattering techniques to better understand what leads to catastrophic failures in lithium ion batteries.

Neoen’s Capital battery project in Canberra is facing significant delays due to connection compliance testing, with the company flagging potential for it to pursue damages from EPC contractor Doosan GridTech. The completed battery was expected to be operational in early 2023.

Genex Power, owner of the 50 MW / 100 MWh Bouldercombe battery which caught fire in Queensland on September 26, says its preliminary root cause analysis found the fault occurred at the grid side of the Tesla Megapack battery unit.

Italian energy group Enel says it is scrapping its plans to build a hydrogen project in La Spezia, Italy, despite €13.72 million ($22.66 million) in European subsidies, while Toyota has introduced its new Crown Sedan fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV) in Japan.

New South Wales network operator Ausgrid has switched on the second community battery rolled out under an Australian government national funding program that has sparked an “overwhelming” response with more than $3.5 billion (USD 2.28 billion) of projects seeking funding.

The Queensland government’s proposed 2 GW/48 GWh Borumba pumped hydro energy storage project continues to power ahead with a call for expressions of interest for underground works.

The 250 MW/2,000 MWh Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project being developed in northern Queensland remains on track for energisation next year with developer Genex Power announcing that construction of the main access tunnel for the underground works is now complete.