Sustainability

Ibrahim Ariffin and JP Grayda, from Afry Management Consulting, examine two promising ASEAN markets, the Philippines and Malaysia, and the challenges they face as they strive to hit renewable energy targets. The long-term outlook is broadly positive, despite some uncertainties.

Melbourne’s RMIT University researchers are in Europe leading an international network focussed on advancing the reuse and recycling of solar panels, including critical mineral recovery.

Spanish renewable project developer Solarig has signed an agreement with Australian electricity and gas company Jemena to collaborate on the development of green hydrogen projects, dropping a pin on regional New South Wales.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources in Indonesia has set a quota of 5,746 MW of rooftop solar to be deployed between 2024 and 2028. The Jakarta-based Institute for Essential Services Reform anticipates rooftop solar to be more commonly adopted by commercial and industrial consumers than residential users, following the abolishment of net-metering earlier this year.

Western Australia is on track to become home to the nation’s first clean energy training centre of excellence with the state and federal governments investing $70.5 million over five years to address labour shortages in Australia’s renewable energy transition.

A long-haul road trip along Australia’s east coast in an electric vehicle has demonstrated the nation’s readiness for the shift to full battery vehicles with the driver declaring the existing charging infrastructure has made range anxiety a thing of the past.

The decarbonisation of mining operations continues to find support with a new report showing that an all-electric underground fleet for the Cosmos nickel project in Western Australia would be technically feasible and cost competitive with the existing all-diesel operating fleet that was planned.

A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) suggests that the world could miss out on a target of 11,000 GW of global renewables capacity by the end of the decade, as agreed at COP28. It also predicts that solar will become the world’s largest source of installed renewable capacity, surpassing hydropower.

Australian miner Liontown Resources has flicked the switch on one of the largest off-grid renewable energy hybrid power stations in Australia with the solar, wind and battery energy storage system helping to power operations at its $895 million Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia.

Climate change advisory and investment firm Pollination Group has launched a $150 million venture capital fund to invest in early-stage tech companies in Australia aimed at facilitating the renewable energy transition.