Grids & Integration

Fortescue has awarded energy infrastructure provider GenusPlus Group two contracts worth a combined $50 million to deliver transmission infrastructure as the mining giant works to decarbonise its iron ore operations in Western Australia.

The first in a series of gigawatt-class battery energy storage projects set to be rolled out across the National Electricity Market is on track to be fully operational by August 2025 after Australia’s market operator granted the technical green light for the Waratah Super Battery.

Three sleeping solar farm beauties in the Top End may receive the kiss of life with Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler indicating the government could buy them from their owner, but questions remain about grid stability.

The central Australian town of Alice Springs is on track to achieve 50% renewable power generation by 2030 but a new report says urgent investment and action is needed to integrate the increasing amounts of renewable energy, including solar PV and battery energy storage, into its isolated grid.

The South Australian government has announced the locations for two community batteries that are to maximise the local use of cheap solar, reduce pressure on solar-heavy grids and pave the way for more rooftop PV.

Solar access will be expanded throughout regional Western Australia with state-owned energy provider Horizon Power announcing plans to roll out “state-of-the-art” internet-connected technology that will help balance energy on regional microgrids.

Network operator Transgrid has shuffled the proposed route for the Victoria-New South Wales Interconnector West transmission project, acknowledging that community concerns, including potential impacts on agriculture and visual amenity have had a significant influence.

The Australian, Tasmanian and Victorian governments have signed off on a new ownership agreement to deliver the contentious Marinus Link high-voltage Tasmania-Victoria interconnection project.

Victorian electricity distributor Powercor has identified a clutch of towns in the state’s central highlands region as possible hosts for community-scale microgrids as it works to deliver improved energy security and reliability for customers across the state.

The private owner and operator of South Australiaʼs electricity transmission network has laid out its plans to manage the challenges and opportunities of the state’s energy transition, including investing in major transmission projects to serve an expected increase in demand.