Decade of unreliability: renewable projects and transmission ‘urgently’ needed as Australia stares down coal closures
The Australian Energy Market Operator warns every Australian jurisdiction in the national grid could see electricity demand outstripping supply within the decade – though only if anticipated renewable projects do not come to fruition.
Wollongong university green hydrogen breakthrough team awarded grant for cell extracting hydrogen in methane
The University of Wollongong professor behind the capillary-fed electrolyser breakthrough now being commercialised by Hysata has received grant funding to develop a cell for extracting pure hydrogen from methane mixtures.
India’s Reliance Industries presents scaled-up solar, battery ambitions
Reliance Industries says that production will begin at its 10 GW factory for solar cells and modules by 2024. It plans to double the facility’s capacity to 20 GW by 2026 and is aiming for 50 GWh of annual cell-to-pack battery capacity by 2027.
Hydrostor’s 500 MW/4 GWh compressed air storage project
Hydrostor has selected an engineering company to provide front-end studies for a 500 MW compressed air energy storage project in California.
NSW solar farm agrees to pay $5.9 million ‘community benefit contribution’ as part of council REZ demands
The 225 MW Oxley Solar Farm, proposed in northern NSW, has agreed to pay $5.9 million as a “community benefit contribution.” The payment links to a recent list of demands from councils within the New England Renewable Energy Zone fed up large-scale projects deliver “significant financial and social costs with little tangible benefit to our regions.”
Massive commercial PV install ‘practically’ completed at former car manufacturing plant in Adelaide
A former car manufacturing site turn “innovation precinct” in Tonsely Adelaide is now home to one of Australia’s largest rooftop arrays at 4.83 MW. Completed by CleanPeak Energy, the system will supply around 75% of the energy needs of the 56 hectare site, with batteries set to arrive before summer.
Germany launches world’s first operating hydrogen trains
Germany has launched the world’s first operational hydrogen trains and US researchers have presented a novel design for a tubular PEM fuel cell. ABB and Hydrogen Optimized, meanwhile, have expanded their strategic ties and Slovakia has moved forward with a major gas-blending pilot project.
Polysilicon price reaches new high at $66/kg, government takes action
Average polysilicon prices hit CNY 312 (AU$65.8)/kg this week, according to an industry association in China. The nation’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the State Administration for Market Regulation, and the National Energy Administration have also asked regional authorities to take action to deal with the price increase.
ACF pushes for clean energy export strategy
The Australian Conservation Foundation has urged the federal government to take advantage of the global shift towards renewable energy to unlock hundreds of thousands of jobs and inject billions of dollars into the economy.
Investors register 17 GW of renewable energy projects for Illawarra REZ
Renewable energy investors have proposed more than 40 new clean energy projects totalling more than 17 GW of generation and storage capacity for a coordinated renewable energy zone to be established in the Illawarra region on the New South Wales south coast.
