News

Urban transportation is key to modern civilization. It has enabled humans to travel long distances and is one of the building blocks of industry and leisure. But it has come at a cost. In the first quarter of 2022, pv magazine’s UP Initiative will focus on the rise of e-mobility. We will examine urban transportation and the role electric vehicles, trains, and two- and three-wheelers can play in greening the electricity grid. In addition to technological innovation, we will also investigate market projections, the policies and infrastructure required, and the role solar and storage will play in taking this nascent industry full throttle.

Building on our previous Chart of the week in October, where we reviewed the first couple of weeks of 5-minute settlement, we wanted to revisit this topic. Now two months in, we take another look and see how well the fastest responding assets in the NEM are capturing the best prices in the 5-minute market.

The latest estimates of electricity generation costs in Australia have confirmed solar and wind continue to be the cheapest sources of new-build electricity generation, even when factoring in additional integration costs such as storage and new transmission infrastructure.

New South Wales-based development company Greenspot has lodged a planning application for a massive 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage system to be built at the site of the shuttered coal-fired Wallerawang Power Station near Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.

Coal is likely to be completely gone from Victoria’s electricity system by 2032 with most other parts of Australia not far behind, a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator declared last week.

The Australian arm of United States-based multinational food and beverage corporation PepsiCo has made the switch to 100% renewable electricity after partnering with Engie and the owners of the 10 MW Northam Solar Farm in Western Australia’s wheatbelt region to access power purchase agreements.

The proposed measure, which will now pass to the Council of Ministers and European Parliament for debate, would further the adoption of PV, according to SolarPower Europe, especially if the commission’s proposal it be applied to public sector structures from 2027 is adopted.

Australian waste management company Cleanaway has turned to rooftop solar in its search for energy efficiency, investing almost $5 million in a national rooftop solar PV program which it predicts will slash its electricity bill and reduce its reliance on the grid.

Western Australian renewable energy company Plico Energy’s bold ambition to develop a grid-scale virtual power plant has received a major financial boost with Swiss investment firm SUSI Partners committing to provide capital for the rollout of 10,000 integrated solar-plus-battery systems.

In an Australian first, up to 100% of daytime operations at two major iron ore mines have been powered entirely by renewable energy after power utility Alinta Energy switched on the 60 MW Chichester Hub Solar Farm in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.