Markets

Global energy storage technology company Fluence has more than 1 GW of battery projects operating or under construction in Australia and it is now broadening its strategy beyond hardware to include optimising asset performance and servicing.

Australia’s energy transition risks falling behind with a new report showing that the time required to plan, build and commission a large-scale solar farm is almost four years with the final stage of the process having blown out to six months or more.

Commonwealth Bank-backed energy retailer and technology company Amber Electric has raised $29 million (USD 18.9 million) in capital that is earmarked to scale the business in Australia and to take its battery and electric vehicle automation software offshore.

The City of Melbourne has partnered with Origin Zero to deliver three battery energy storage systems as part of its plan to establish a network of co-ordinated community batteries across the city to better manage the increasing penetration of rooftop solar and periods of peak demand on the network.

A slowdown in large-scale solar farm development has not been enough to derail near record annual growth in Australia’s solar market with data from SunWiz showing 4.6 GW of PV capacity was installed across the country in 2023.

Global clean energy major EDP Renewables has expanded its presence into Australia with the acquisition of Canberra-based solar and energy storage developer ITP Development in a deal that adds more than 1.5 GW of wind and solar projects to its portfolio.

Australian renewables developer Edify Energy has been tapped by the federal government to lead the development of a hydrogen hub in the north Queensland city of Townsville as it looks to take advantage of growing global demand for green hydrogen.

A new AC-coupled residential storage solution, which integrates the use of solar, battery storage, energy control and management technologies, will be available to consumers in South Australia and Victoria after the product secured approval for use in the two states.

Renewables developer Ace Power has secured its first grid connection agreements with the market operator for two battery energy storage projects in Australia, in what it says is a major milestone for the company.

Rystad Energy has countered the International Energy Agency’s recent “reality check” for the green hydrogen sector, predicting the momentum behind renewable-based hydrogen will gather pace in 2024 as global renewable energy capacity continues to expand rapidly.