Technology

The first access rights for up to 6 GW of new solar, wind and storage capacity in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone are now on offer as the New South Wales government continues to progress Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone to reality.

Combined rooftop solar capacity is now the second largest source of renewable electricity generation in Australia with new analysis showing that PV systems mounted atop the nation’s buildings provided more than 10% of the country’s power supply in 2023.

The Queensland government has committed $2.5 million to progress the development of an “Australian first” solar panel recycling scheme in preparation for the “thousands” of PV panels installed on rooftops and across large-scale solar farms in the state that are approaching end of life.

Australia has firmly established its status as a global leader in residential solar deployment with 35% of all houses having already installed rooftop systems but new data reveals there is almost 50 GW of “untapped PV potential” on residential buildings across the country.

China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) has launched its new TENER energy storage product, which it describes as the world’s first mass-producible 6.25 MWh storage system, with zero degradation in the first five years of use.

Endeavour Energy has activated the first community battery on its network in the New South Wales South Coast as part of a broader program the electricity distributor says will support a higher uptake of renewables and allow more households to access the benefits of rooftop solar.

Building a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry based on Australian innovation could generate up to 60,000 jobs and help cement the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower but access to capital and focused policies are essential if manufacturers are to reach scale where they can be cost competitive internationally.

Queensland government-owned network operator Powerlink has completed construction work on the transmission infrastructure that will pave the way for more than 2 GW of renewable energy assets in the state’s southeast to connect to the National Electricity Market.

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.

Queensland aluminium materials manufacturer Alpha HPA says it is on the brink of transforming lithium-ion battery safety, declaring its high-purity aluminium nitrate is capable of providing a solution to lithium-ion battery fires.