Australia

British-headquartered oil and gas giant BP is a step closer to establishing a large-scale integrated renewables and green hydrogen project on Western Australia’s mid-west coast after outlaying $23 million for an almost 23,000-hectare property.

In what it says is an Australian first, Queensland network operator Powerlink will offer owners of land adjacent to new transmission lines compensation payments as it looks to roll out new infrastructure to ensure the future security of the energy grid.

Australian renewable hydrogen company Infinite Green Energy has expanded its relationship with Samsung C&T, teaming with the South Korean industrial conglomerate to progress its flagship Arrowsmith project which is anticipated will produce more than 300 tonnes of renewable hydrogen per day using wind and solar energy.

Electricity retailer Zen Energy continues to grow its renewable energy portfolio, penning a long-term deal with Greek resources and renewables company Mytilineos to purchase power from its Wagga Wagga South Solar Farm in New South Wales.

Queensland clean tech company Graphene Manufacturing Group has signed a deal with global mining giant Rio Tinto with the goal of accelerating the development and application of its graphene aluminium-ion battery technology in the mining and minerals industry.

International Graphite has made a key move in pursuit of its ‘mine to market’ strategy with the minerals startup securing a site for its proposed battery anode material manufacturing plant near the coal town of Collie in Western Australia.

The federal government has committed $14 million (USD 9.32 million) to establish a renewables industry ‘growth centre’ to support Australian businesses looking to manufacture, commercialise and adopt clean energy technologies.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has renewed its calls for a fast-tracking of new transmission links, saying that parts of the country’s main grid are effectively in gridlock and causing unprecedented amounts of wind and solar to be curtailed.

Renewable curtailment in Australia has grown by almost 40% from a year ago, Daniel Westerman, head of AEMO says. Frustratingly, the revelation came in the same forum where the head of Australia’s green bank warned the nation is not on track to reach its target of 80% renewable generation by 2030.

Federal energy minister Chris Bowen has submitted rule changes to the Australian Energy Market Commission to begin reforming how transmission projects in Australia are approved – a process which has drawn wide ire. While Bowen says he is “fast-tracking” the changes, some say the reforms slated for November are minor and overdue.