Strategic Alliances

The Australian government’s green bank has tipped $100 million (USD 66 million) in to help fast track the development of the 850 MW/1,680 MWh Waratah Super Battery Project that is set to play a significant role in the nation’s shift from coal-fired generation to renewables.

A panel of experts debated how plausible it is for Australia to enter the battery manufacturing space, and acting-CEO of one of the only companies to produce lithium hydroxide in Australia, IGO, discussed the acute challenges of setting up a refinery onshore during the WA Renewables and Critical Minerals Superpower Summit on Monday.

A $20 million (USD 13.58 million) early works package for the CopperString transmission project that is forecast to unlock 6 GW of renewable energy resources and connect Queensland’s northwest to the national electricity grid has been awarded to CIMIC Group companies UGL and CPB Contractors.

The changing hands of Australia’s biggest ‘gentailers’ continues, with Mike Cannon-Brookes’ Grok Ventures reducing its stake in AGL, while Macquarie is reportedly in talks to acquire up to a 50% stake in EnergyAustralia.

The CSIRO has run an internal ‘Shark Tank’-style competition which will see it test semi-transparent, printed solar films at its greenhouses to assess whether the technology can be used to enhance crops’ growth and cut emissions.

Danish investment group Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners has ramped up its green hydrogen ambitions, acquiring a strategic stake in Europe-headquartered renewables developer CWP Global’s development portfolio of ultra-large-scale green hydrogen hubs, including projects in Australia.

Western Australian clean energy developer Infinite Green Energy has welcomed Israeli renewables giant Doral Group as an equity partner to develop and build a commercial-scale green hydrogen project that will leverage the existing 11 MW Northam Solar Farm east of Perth.

Greek industrial and energy giant Mytilineos expects the 40 MW Kingaroy Solar Farm being built in southeast Queensland will be operational before the end of the year following the formal execution of a long-term offtake agreement with SmartestEnergy Australia.

Samsung and SMA are using a new cloud-to-cloud system that allows PV systems with SMA inverters to be integrated with Samsung heat pumps.

Queensland project developer the Hydrogen Collective has announced it will have green hydrogen available for supply to commercial customers from late 2023 with construction to begin in the coming weeks on a solar-powered production facility to be built at Goondiwindi in the state’s southwest.