Grids & Integration

The reliability of Australia’s power supply has improved driven by the addition of new solar and wind capacity, making summer blackouts less likely, the Australian Energy Market Operator finds in its latest report. In light of the aging coal fleet and scheduled plant closures, timely commissioning of new generation, storage and transmission investment will be critical.

International thinktank IEEFA says there are 50 viable green hydrogen projects under development with an estimated renewable energy capacity of 50 GW and the potential to produce 4 million tonnes of the fuel annually.

In its H1 2020 report, the UK-based infrastructure investor revealed it had suffered substantial losses, mainly due to performance issues on its renewable energy projects. Two of the company’s Australian solar farms were particularly badly hit by transmission and equipment issues.

Western Australian tech startup Power Ledger and Thai renewable energy company BCPG are expanding their partnership with the creation of a Renewable Energy Certificate marketplace for SE Asia on Power Ledger’s peer-to-peer blockchain platform.

Last month, Australian Parents for Climate Action’s Solar our Schools campaign published an Open Letter to Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling for solar and energy storage investment at every school and early childhood centre Australia-wide as part of the Covid-19 economic recovery. Today, pv magazine Australia sits down with Solar our Schools ‘Champion’ Dan Sturrock, a renewable industry professional leading the charge for solar uptake at his kids’ school in Sydney’s inner west.

As part of the state’s economic recovery plan, the Palaszczuk Government has committed $145 million for Renewable Energy Zones in north, central and south-west Queensland.

With two synchronous condensers installed as part of the project, the 275MWac/333MWdc Darlington Point Solar Farm hopes to help manage the ongoing integration of renewable energy generation in the West Murray region.

Following its swift completion, Risen Energy’s 132 MW Merredin Solar Farm has joined the Western Australian grid. The project has finalized its staged commissioning process and is now exporting clean energy at 100% capacity.

Analyst IHS Markit has predicted storage will rebound this year following its first year-on-year decline in 2019. The technology is being rolled out at pace despite Covid-19 with state-level policies set to keep the US the global capital for the next five years.

As renewables penetration increases, transmission and distribution (T&D) infrastructure will require significant reinforcement. Battery storage is becoming a key alternative to traditional ways of reinforcing network infrastructure, because it is fast to deploy, can provide multiple services, and often comes at a lower capital cost. IHS Markit analyst Oliver Forsyth delves into the additional value streams that strengthen the case for grid-connected batteries.