Australia

New research by the World Gold Council identifies greenhouse gas emissions across the whole supply chain of gold mining and sets out a plan to aureate the industry’s carbon footprint with solar PV and other renewables.

Reports from, of all places, Youtube indicate that the Hornsdale Power Reserve is set for a major expansion. Tesla Powerpacks have been spotted being hauled to the battery site, with the reported volume of the deliveries totaling some 500-600 Tesla Powerpacks – indicating that the battery’s capacity is being ramped up.

French renewables developer and big Australian energy player Neoen has reported strong revenue growth over the first nine months of 2019, driven in no small part by Australian successes.

After Genex Power’s offtake agreement with EnergyAustralia fell through earlier this month its concessional federal funding lapsed. However, the Project has secured an extension into 2020, hopefully allowing it enough time to restructure and reach financial close.

Qantas has set itself a 2050 net-zero carbon emissions target as the national carrier looks to push the aviation industry toward more sustainable practices.

One of Australia’s largest solar farms, APA Group’s 110 MW (AC) Darling Downs Solar Farm has officially opened after significant delays resulting from grid connection issues and last-minute changes of engineering and construction partners.

Australia made its first moves to open up its energy industry in the 1990s, when the National Electricity Market (NEM) was first created, and many of the rules and regulations from back then are still in place today. But the rise of renewables in the 21st century, argues Clean Energy Investor Group Chair Rob Grant, necessitates a rethink of this market structure.

The Australian Energy Market Commission’s proposed transmission access model has come under fierce criticism from the clean energy industry for being unnecessarily complex and likely to increase the cost of capital for future generation and storage investment.

The Western Australian government is looking to retrain 100 electricity network workers in the installation and maintenance of standalone power systems. Solar and storage systems could replace large parts of the state’s electricity network and WA’s utilities are looking to reskill its workforce for the transition.

Chinese module supplier and project developer Risen Energy has increased its module warranty for its modules sold into the rooftop segment to 15 years. Representing an increase of three years, the warranty still trails the 25-year warranty covering modules from suppliers such as LG or Q Cells.