Australia

Oil and gas producer Pilot Energy has filed plans to build a 375 MWdc solar farm in Western Australia’s mid-west as part of the company’s longer-term strategy to leverage its existing assets into the production of clean energy.

Hong Kong-based private equity firm Gaw Capital Partners has teamed with Asian energy storage business BW ESS in a renewable energy venture that intends to develop more than 2 GW of utility-scale solar and battery projects in Australia.

Fortescue has announced plans to open its first manufacturing centre in the United States, partnering with the state of Michigan to establish a production hub for automotive and heavy industry batteries, fast chargers and hydrogen electrolysers.

Australia’s rooftop solar sector continues to shine bright with new data from the Australian Energy Market Operator revealing that distributed PV output across the main grid reached a record high in the final quarter of 2023.

Resources giant Rio Tinto has signed Australia’s largest yet corporate power purchase agreement – agreeing to buy 100% of the output from European Energy Australia’s 1.1 GW Upper Calliope Solar Farm to provide renewable power to its aluminium operations in Queensland.

Renewables company ITP Development will continue to look for opportunities in regional New South Wales despite the Land and Environment Court having killed off the company’s plans to build a large-scale solar farm near Mudgee in the state’s central west.

Renewable energy generators chasing access rights to the new Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone network will be presented with a streamlined application process as the New South Wales government prioritises achieving financial close on the network project.

EnergyAustralia says it will increase the capacity of a battery energy storage system to be built adjacent to its Hallett Power Station in South Australia from an initial 50 MW to 150 MW, and 200 MWh to 600 MWh, after the successful completion of the first stage.

New South Wales electricity distributor Ausgrid is exploring the potential of solar-powered microgrids to enhance energy security for communities during extreme weather events and extended outages with construction having started on what will be the company’s first microgrid.

S-5! has introduced a module-level power electronics mount for solar developers, installers, end users, and engineering, procurement and construction contractors who are looking for a mounting device for solar module frames, without attaching to rails.