Australia

The Australian arm of French renewables player Neoen is set to start the construction of its largest solar farm in New South Wales – and the second biggest in its global portfolio – pressing go on the 350 MW Culcairn Solar Farm being developed in the state’s south.

Western Australia utility Western Power has commenced the rollout of a $28 million (USD 19 million) works package to manage the capacity of key distribution feeders in the state’s main electricity network and unlock new renewable energy generation opportunities.

ElectraNet has announced the successful completion of the South Australian component of Project EnergyConnect, the new high-voltage transmission line between South Australia and New South Wales, marking a significant milestone in Australia’s renewable energy landscape.

Renewables developer Enel Green Power Australia has confirmed that its 27 MW Cohuna Solar Farm in northern Victoria has resumed partial operations after being forced to shut down following a grassfire at the site last month.

The latest estimates of electricity generation costs in Australia reveal that solar and wind power remain the cheapest form of energy, even after the expense of integrating them into the grid is factored in.

New South Wales electricity distributor Endeavour Energy has flicked the switch on the state’s first community microgrid with the rooftop solar and battery energy storage system helping to provide power certainty for the South Coast communities of Bawley Point and Kioloa.

Six green hydrogen projects with a total electrolyser capacity of more 3.5 GW have been shortlisted for the Australian government’s $2 billion (USD 1.35 billion) Hydrogen Headstart initiative that is intended to support the development of 1 GW of electrolyser capacity by 2030 through two to three “flagship” projects.

The Marinus Link power cable to be built between Victoria and Tasmania is a step closer to reality after the Australian Energy Regulator approved the project’s first revenue proposal, marking the planned early works spend as “prudent and efficient.”

Australian renewable energy company Frontier Energy has completed its acquisition of Canadian firm Waroona Energy. The companies own neighbouring large-scale solar projects in Western Australia’s southwest and intend to join forces to create the state’s largest vertically integrated renewable energy hub.

The New South Wales government has formalised its decision to double the size of Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone, boosting its capacity to 6 GW of solar, wind and storage in a move designed to better cater for the state’s future energy as it transitions from coal and gas to a renewables-based grid.