Sonnen begins battery production in South Australia
The German energy storage provider has begun assembling batteries at the former Holden site at Elizabeth in Adelaide’s north. The company has already hired 50 full-time employees.
SMA takes 50% Australian inverter market share, dominates large scale
German inverter giant SMA has reported huge market share in the Australian marketplace, announcing 1.8 GW of PV power plant installations in 2018. The company’s dominance of the large scale segment is such that it claims “almost all utility scale PV power plant projects in Australia rely on the SMA Medium Voltage Power Station.”
Victoria delivers wakeup call to Coalition ‘reactionary right’ on climate, renewables
With the Coalition in Victoria punished by voters and the Federal Government slipping further into minority, the muddled energy policy agenda of the conservative Liberal and National parties is starting to receive an electoral backlash. Long-reported public support for renewables can no longer be ignored.
Winemaker inks hybrid renewable PPA
One of the nation’s largest vineyard owners, Australian Vintage, has announced a major hybrid renewable corporate PPA, based on which it will ensure 90% of its power at its Buronga Hill Winery is met by solar and wind for the next 10 years.
Mali gold mine to slash power bill with 40 MW solar hybrid plant
Australian mining company Resolute Mining has inked a JDA and PPA with Ignite Energy, to construct what it says is the world’s largest off-grid solar hybrid plant, at one of its gold mines in Mali.
AGL trials solar power trading platform in Victoria
AGL has developed an energy trading platform, which is being tried among its customers in Victoria. The new trading system allows households to sell their excess solar power and save money or help others save on their electricity bills.
South Australia sets up $50 million Grid Scale Storage Fund
The South Australian state government has launched a $50 million fund to support construction of new energy storage projects, seeking to address intermittency in the state electricity system and make electricity more affordable and reliable. There will be one round of applications, with a closing date of Thursday, 7 February 2019.
CSIRO, Fortescue enter into hydrogen partnership
Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group will invest $20 million into hydrogen research at Australian national science agency CSIRO’s Brisbane laboratories. The partnership aims to develop new technologies, create jobs, and capitalise on the economic opportunities associated with hydrogen.
WA’s first merchant solar farm starts generating to grid
The 10 MW Northam Solar Farm has begun feeding electricity into the grid. According to Carnegie Clean Energy, full commercial operations is expected in the coming weeks once the required tests are completed successfully.
RCR Tomlinson enters administration
After it entered the second trading halt in a matter of months a week ago, Perth-based engineering company RCR Tomlinson has failed to secure additional funding and went into administration. Earlier this year, the company managed to raise $100 million in capital from its shareholders, after which it took huge write-downs on two Queensland solar farm.
