Markets

Northern Territory government-owned Jacana Energy has opened a tender calling for the private sector to submit proposals to build up to 100 MW of utility scale PV and 30 MW/30 MWh of grid-forming battery energy storage in the Darwin-Katherine region.

Australian gas infrastructure major APA Group has announced it will purchase Chinese-owned utility Alinta Energy’s remote power assets in Western Australia’s Pilbara region in a deal worth more than $1.7 billion (USD 1.1 billion) as it seeks to reduce its exposure to fossil fuels.

Quarterly investment in large-scale energy storage projects has broken through the billion-dollar barrier for the first time but the Clean Energy Council has cautioned that a slowdown in generation projects means Australia is a long way off the pace necessary to achieve the 82% national renewable energy target by 2030.

Chinese battery industry heavyweight Contemporary Amperex Technology has unveiled a new electric vehicle battery that reportedly enables long-range driving on a fast, 10-minute charge. It expects mass production to begin by the end of this year, and vehicles equipped with the battery to be available in the first quarter of 2024.

Genesis Energy’s ambition to become New Zealand’s largest solar generator has gained momentum with the company announcing sites for three new projects with a combined 400 MW of renewable electricity capacity.

Just days after a federal government-funded research body warned of potential cyber risks for Australia’s energy grids due to foreign-made solar technology, Sydney-headquartered wholesale energy software supplier Energy One has suffered a data breach.

Power utility Alinta Energy is progressing the development of a 100 MW/200 MWh big battery at Wagerup in southwest Western Australia that it says will provide support for the state’s main grid and facilitate the increased penetration of renewable energy.

Switzerland-based manufacturer Meyer Burger is now prioritising the establishment of new module and cell production facilities in the United States, driven by favourable market conditions in the country.

The Australian government’s green bank has invested a record $1.2 billion (USD 770 million) in large-scale renewables projects in the past financial year but has warned “a lot more” needs to be done to reach 82% renewables by 2030.

Cimic Group subsidiary Pacific Partnerships has added a second large-scale solar project to its portfolio having purchased the development rights for the 250 MW Hopeland Solar Farm planned for southwest Queensland.