Australia

A team of engineers from Newcastle University have patented a thermal storage material capable of storing large amounts of renewable energy as heat over long periods. These thermal energy storage blocks are now being manufactured by MGA Thermal with ambitions to act as storage for large-scale solar systems and to repurpose coal-fired power stations.

The fallout from the Woodside and McGowan government’s greenwashing of the former’s ‘H2Perth’ hydrogen and ammonia project announced last week continues, with Fortescue Future Industries and Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest making a mockery of Woodside on Twitter before announcing a massive green hydrogen deal in the United Kingdom for COP26.

Trackers, training and truly big-wattage panels are among the latest Trina Solar offerings. How are these various developments designed to meet the needs of the Australian utility-PV industry?

It may just be an MOU, and there are no timeframes attached, but the agreement between two major emitters to continue and prioritise their development of green-processes for producing steel from iron ore bodes well for Australian manufacturing strength and marketability.

Overwhelmed by interest in its proposed Central-Orana Renewable Energy Zone and then in the New England REZ, the New South Wales Government has now opened the floodgates to the South-West.

Here’s the rundown of everything you need to know about the upcoming Glasgow Climate Summit.

Indonesian solar PV developer SUN Energy has announced itself in the Australian market, revealing it will purchase the largest solar farm in Western Australia as part of its bold ambition to become a major player in the APAC renewable energy market.

Owners of electric cars in South Australia will soon be charged for every kilometre they drive with the state government’s push to impose a tax on electric vehicles gathering speed with a Bill to allow the new road-user levy passed in the Upper House.

French renewables developer Neoen’s massive 460 MWp solar farm in Queensland’s Western Downs region is rapidly advancing toward completion with state-owned network operator Powerlink confirming connection to the electricity grid is now complete.

The most striking feature of Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s long-term emissions reduction plan outlined on Tuesday is not the long-telegraphed commitment to net-zero emissions by 2050, or the promise of a $20 billion clean energy program (around 0.2% of national income annually).