Canada

Brookfield’s bold ambitions for Australia have reached a new level with the global asset manager inking an agreement with India-headquartered multinational Reliance Industries to explore the production of solar panels, long-duration battery storage, and other renewable energy equipment in Australia.

Gas major Atco has ditched its plans for a commercial-scale green hydrogen manufacturing facility proposed for Western Australia’s remote midwest, saying the distance between the production facility and end use undermined the commercial viability of the project.

Researchers in Canada have found that nearly zero-energy buildings (NZEBs) with on-site solar energy generation should not exceed an energy use intensity (EUI) of 50 kWh/m2a, which they said corresponds to a maximum of 10 floors. They also ascertained that the maximum permitted EUI by net-zero energy status is 17–28 kWh/m2a.

Researchers are proposing to use steel zip ties to attach solar modules to fences in animal farms as a low-cost racking solution for agrivoltaic applications. They found the proposed approach is technically and economically viable, provided careful wind load tests are conducted on the fences.

A 325 MW/2,600 MWh pumped hydro project planned for the New South Wales central west faces an indefinite delay with developer Atco announcing it will hold off on the next stage of the regulatory approvals process until the state government’s policy frameworks “are close to being able to support financial investment decisions for large-scale infrastructure.”

The Brookfield consortium looking to acquire Origin Energy has lodged its merger application with the ACCC, arguing the takeover is in the national interest since it will accelerate Australia’s decarbonisation. The application also flags investment figures as high as $30 billion (USD 20 billion), up from the $20 billion previously flagged.

Canadian-headquartered clean energy firm Amp Energy has secured the rights to develop a green hydrogen project with up to 5 GW of electrolyser capacity on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. Amp has signed an agreement with iron ore miner Iron Road which owns the coastal site, including the Cape Hardy Port Precinct.

A $18.7 billion (USD 12.5 billion) takeover deal for Origin Energy has been struck with a consortium led by Canadian giant Brookfield. Brookfield’s vision for Origin involves spending “at least” $20 billion to build new renewables and storage, using Origin and its customer base as a vehicle for transition.

Canadian investment giant Brookfield will acquire the remaining 50% stake in Spain-based renewables developer X-Elio from its joint venture partner, investment firm KKR. X-Elio has more than 500 MW of projects in development in Australia and the move from Brookfield, which is also currently looking to takeover Origin Energy, a major Australian “gentailer,” extends the ambitious company’s hold in Australia.

Canada-headquartered Solmax will seek to build its presence in the Australian utility scale solar sector having developed a reflective membrane which it claims can increase the energy yield of a bifacial PV project by between 5% and 20%, depending on the plant configuration.