Sustainability

Hybrid energy systems are blooming in Australia’s remote locations, as renewables are increasingly partnered with gas or diesel to advance the greening of desert industries and communities that operate far from the grid.

The Ranger Uranium Mine, completely enclosed within the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, ceased production in January 2021 after years of financial losses. Now, as part of a multi-million dollar rejuvenation of the Park, a solar and battery storage hybrid project is set for development at the town of Jabiru, a project which will help the town replenish itself as a tourist hub for one of Australia’s greatest treasures.

With 7,600 residents and many more travellers recharging at its holiday properties each year, Ingenia Communities Group is set to lead the retirement and affordable-travel-accommodation sectors towards solar uptake following a major investment by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

BHP has started the year by signing a PPA that will halve emissions at its Nickel West Kwinana refinery and double its green cred as a supplier to environmentally conscious lithium-ion battery manufacturers.

Reclaim PV is a step closer to ensuring solar generation lives up to the promise of providing clean energy throughout its lifecycle, and that repurposing of its component materials becomes viable.

Flinders University in Adelaide has announced its campuses and facilities are now officially 100% powered by renewable energy from campus-based solar arrays and a local wind farm.

Spanish-Japanese renewable energy company Univergy Solar and local partner New Energy Developments are set to begin construction on the 120 MW Wallaroo Solar Farm on the NSW/ACT border by the end of 2021. The agrivoltaic installation will operate symbiotically as a generator of clean energy, grazing land, and a thriving habitat for native vegetation and pollinators.

International mining giant BHP has signed a power purchasing agreement with Merredin Solar Farm to supply half of the electricity at its Nickel West Kwinana refinery, south of Perth.

Sector coupling may be somewhat of a buzzword, but it also points to opportunities for PV beyond the power markets, which may quickly reach limitations during peak hours of irradiation. Combined energy, food and clean water production presents one such opportunity, with benefits for developers, utilities and communities.

Corporate commitments in Australia will drive an estimated 2.8 GW of demand for renewable energy projects, according to a new report from Greenpeace.