The last five years have placed unprecedented strain on global supply chains. Geopolitical tensions, trade wars, natural disasters and the global pandemic have revealed vulnerabilities across industries.

The AFR Energy and Climate Summit focused on demand and AI’s impact on the grid, but the real question is being overlooked: how do we connect data centres without repeating past mistakes in the energy transition?

Director of CSIRO Mineral Resources Dr Louise Fisher reveals how collaboration across research, industry and government is driving decarbonisation, digital transformation and the development of sustainable, globally competitive supply chains for critical minerals.

When Snowy 2.0 is in the news, it’s usually about money. The cost of the huge project has gone well beyond the initial $6 billion estimate and will now cost more than $12 billion.

A comprehensive new report from IEA PVPS Task 12 reveals how countries around the world are managing the growing volumes of end-of-life solar modules, implementing regulations and scaling recycling infrastructure to handle the expected increment in PV waste over the coming decades.

Spanish energy company Iberdrola, which has a total installed capacity in Australia of 2.3 GW, has been selected to develop the Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector West, or VNI West transmission line.

Project EnergyConnect, the high voltage interconnector under construction between South Australia and New South Wales has seen the Dinawan substation located in the Riverina region, completed.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency has committed $25.3 million to SunDrive to support its copper metallisation technology from development at its South Sydney facility to a 300 MW commercial-scale production tool.

Microgrid developer GenOffGrid has launched a solar, lithium and diesel microgrid to power the Auski Munjina Village roadhouse in the Pilbara, Western Australia, over 1,300 kilometres northeast of Perth.

Spanish renewable energy solutions company Solarig has surpassed 2 GW of renewable energy assets under its operation and management in Australia, following the start of operation at the Stubbo Solar Project in New South Wales.

NSW-based solar racking business S-Rack has engineered and installed advanced racking for an 83 kW Sydney council carport solar system to support the organisation’s energy generation and electric vehicle charger network.

Pacific Energy has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Horizon Power to supply, from 2027, up to 60% renewable energy to the town of Leonora in Western Australia’s goldfields.

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is backing mining giant Fortescue with $45 million in funding, to trial new technologies that include methods to accelerate large-scale solar deployment and next generation solar construction techniques, at a Pilbara solar innovation hub.

The federal government has fast-tracked in 19 days environmental approval to Samsung C&T Renewable Energy Australia for its Queensland-based Dunmore solar and battery energy storage project.

HD Renewable Energy and Zen Energy have entered into a 20-year power purchase agreement for the 111 MW / 330 MWh Templers Battery Project in South Australia, which is scheduled to commence commercial operations by the end of 2025.

Two Japanese companies have announced a partnership to advance the recycling of solar panel cover glass for application in architectural flat glass production.

Japanese utility Tohoku Electric Power is using Sharp’s residential batteries and AI-powered energy management systems to balance grid demand and optimise household solar energy use. Customers in the program can earn points redeemable for local products.

Researchers at the University of New South Wales in Sydney are working with the institution’s spinout company BT Imaging to accelerate the commercialisation of solar cell defect detection technology, thanks to a $1.4 million commercialisation project. 

Australian start-up, Infravision, has raised $91 million Series B from investors led by GIC that will help accelerate the global deployment of its power line stringing and automated grid construction technology.

Chinese off-grid and hybrid solar energy storage solutions manufacturer Felicitysolar has established an office and warehouse in Sydney, New South Wales, stocked with its comprehensive range of residential and commercial products.

United States-headquartered solar technology platform provider Nextracker has launched the NX Earth Truss foundation solution, that tackles tough terrain to unlock land for solar projects.

Chinese solar manufacturer AIKO has signed a 1 GW supply agreement with Australian distributors and introduced its third generation all back contact Infinite series at All Energy 2025 in Melbourne.

The Japanese car maker announced it will show a prototype extendable solar PV rooftop onboard a Nissan Sakura Kei at an upcoming mobility industry event in Japan.

Australian energy storage manufacturer RedEarth Energy Storage is set to bring its Australian-made vehicle-to-grid electric vehicle charge to market, and has also released two next generation products from its smart energy ecosystem.

Clean energy technology company Ingeteam will supply inverters for the 227 GWh European Energy Australia Winton North hybrid project currently under construction in Victoria.

Rystad Energy has released analysis of the federal government’s Solar Sharer scheme saying forecast increased demand from utility and household batteries and a slowdown of rooftop solar could boost utility renewables and coal via increased daytime demand, but impact gas and utility batteries.

TrinaSolar division, Trina Storage and Pacific Green Energy Storage have entered a memorandum of understanding to deliver up to 5 GWh of grid scale battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Akaysha Energy has closed $460 million construction financing for its 311 MW / 1,244 MWh Elaine BESS in Victoria, where works have also begun, with financing underpinned by a 15-year virtual tolling agreement with Snowy Hydro.

Hydro Tasmania has completed a major $18 million upgrade of the central system that allows it to monitor and control most of the State’s 7,347 GWh hydropower system from Hobart. 

Australian green lender Brighte has secured $40 million from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation under the federal government’s household energy upgrades fund, to support the roll out of up to $150 million worth of consumer energy resources.