Markets & Policy

Energy and environment ministers from the Group of Seven nations have announced new targets for solar power and offshore wind capacity after vowing to drastically increase renewable energy development and accelerate the phase out of “unabated” fossil fuel use.

Salgenx has developed a way to produce graphene on demand from its saltwater flow battery. The tech exploits the electrochemical properties of the battery’s cathode to exfoliate graphite into individual layers of graphene. The company says it can produce graphene for less than USD 1.25 ($1.85) per gram, providing storage businesses with an additional revenue stream.

Cannabis prohibition drove a culture of clandestine production in the past and solar helped growers to cultivate it at remote, off-grid sites. Now, as a global commercial cannabis market emerges, solar has an even bigger role to play, reports Blake Matich.

Australian mining and processing company IGO and billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Wyloo Metals will progress plans to build the nation’s first integrated battery material facility in Western Australia after the state government approved the allocation of land for the up to $1 billion project.

The federal government is increasing its investment in green hydrogen and low-emissions steel with $50 million in research and development funding to help progress the technologies as a new report warns that Australia must act quickly or risk being left behind in the race to become a renewable energy superpower.

Green energy investment manager Quinbrook Infrastructure is spreading its reach into the “exploding” renewable fuels and biogas sectors with the acquisition of United States-headquartered developer PurposeEnergy which specialises in converting food and beverage residuals and wastewater into renewable energy.

TrendForce has ranked the top six module manufacturers by shipment volume in 2022, with Longi topping the list, followed by Trina Solar and JinkoSolar. JA Solar, Canadian Solar, and Risen Energy rounded out the top six, in a year dominated by large-format modules.

Venture capital fund Macquarie Group’s new battery storage platform Eku Energy has been tapped by the Australian Capital Territory government to deliver the next stage of the Big Canberra Battery ‘ecosystem’ which will support the ongoing rollout of large-scale renewables and rooftop solar.

In a strongly-worded submission, two experts claim AEMO’s backbone interconnector proposed between Victoria and New South Wales is a “monumental mistake” and relies on analysis that is “biased, flawed and in parts dishonest.”

The Australian Energy Regulator has handed down its final decision on when electricity networks are permitted to impose zero export limits on rooftop solar systems. The answer: almost never.