Victoria decides to go it alone on transmission to unlock more large-scale renewables and batteries
The Victorian government has decided to break away from national electricity rules and introduce legislation that will fast-track priority projects like grid-scale batteries and transmission upgrades and make room for more large-scale solar and wind on the grid. The announced reforms have prompted a flurry of reactions.
Melbourne energy storage startup set to charge into U.S. market
Melbourne startup Relectrify is on the verge of a U.S. breakthrough with its highly efficient and cost-effective battery storage technology.
Coronavirus could cost Chinese battery makers 26 GWh of output
WoodMac analysts say the amount of new battery manufacturing capacity added in the nation this year could fall by as much as 10% because of the outbreak. With Tesla’s Shanghai gigafactory affected by the extended new-year-holiday shutdown, the analyst warned of potential supply shortages for Australia and the U.S. and U.K.
Energy density advances and faster charging would unlock EV revolution
With electric vehicles making up only 3% of the global car market last year, analyst WoodMac says battery packs need to be cheaper and lighter and range anxiety must be addressed to change the habits of drivers.
Perth’s first utility-scale community battery
Synergy and Western Power’s PowerBank trial has reached another milestone with the integration of a utility-scale community battery into Perth’s major metropolitan network.
Australian Vanadium boosted by federal grant
Perth-based Australian Vanadium has received another boost from the Federal Government with the award of a further $1.25 million research and development grant to fund research into improving vanadium processing.
Solar and batteries slash costs at off-grid WA cattle station
With the help of solar PV and zinc-bromine batteries, a cattle station located in the dry Murchison region northeast of Geraldton will save as much as $10,000 a year in diesel costs.
Neoen’s Culcairn Solar Farm nearing construction
Neoen’s 400 MW Culcairn Solar Farm and energy storage facility in NSW has now entered the open exhibition stage and released its EIS. The French company, Australia’s top independent renewable energy producer, hopes to commence construction mid-2020.
Community energy movement: Reductions enable Resilience
Even a casual observer of the political debate over climate change in Australia would almost have whiplash from the abrupt turn from low-key climate denialism to focus on resilience and adaptation in the face of climate catastrophes.
For a bigger battery, just add manganese
Scientists at the University of Southern Denmark working with sodium-ion batteries found that a new electrode material incorporating iron, manganese and phosphorous could increase both the power and capacity of the batteries.
