France

Tasmanian shipbuilder Incat will team with two European companies to test the waters on building 100% battery-electric powered passenger and car ferries as part of a push to help decarbonise the maritime transport sector.

Canadian global asset management company Brookfield has reached agreement for a majority stake in Australia’s largest developer of renewables, France-headquartered Neoen, and is set to acquire a 53.32% stake in pursuit of 100% ownership.

French multinational energy management company Schneider Electric has released two new battery energy storage systems with enclosures of 2.1 metres and 6.06 metres. Their power ranges from 60 kW to 500 kW.

The Australian arm of French energy giant EDF Group has acquired and agreed to co-develop the proposed 300 MW / 3 GWh Dungowan pumped hydro energy storage project being progressed in the New South Wales New England region.

The 219 MW / 877 MWh Collie Battery Stage 1 project being constructed in Western Australia’s southwest is the first new asset to be financed through a landmark $1.1 billion deal completed by French renewables developer Neoen.

Around 800,000 new workers will be required in Europe by 2025 for the battery industry alone and, more broadly, existing workers will need to be retrained as the continent’s industries transition away from fossil fuels. International competition for workers is becoming increasingly fierce. Where are these workers and the required skills supposed to come from?

French renewables developer TE H2’s ambition to be an early mover in Australia’s giga-scale renewable energy generation and hydrogen production industry has received a boost with the Northern Territory government awarding major project status to the proposed Darwin H2 Hub.

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.

Australian solar thermal specialist Vast Renewables will look to accelerate the development of its concentrated solar power technology after securing a $16.37 million (€10 million) capital commitment from French energy giant EDF Renewables.

The Siemens Energy-led Hyflexpower consortium has conducted a series of tests on a gas turbine located on the premises of Smurfit Kappa, a paper-based packaging supplier.