Governments unite on $7.8 billion transmission investment
The federal and New South Wales governments have combined on a landmark $7.8 billion (USD 5.25 billion) investment to help finance the development of eight critical transmission and renewable energy zone projects as they look to accelerate Australia’s clean energy future.
FRV reaches financial close on another solar farm, second big battery to come
FRV Australia has reached financial close on its Walla Walla Solar Farm thanks to a PPA with Microsoft. The company is also progressing its second big battery in Australia, the 250 MW / 500 MWh Gnarwarre battery in Victoria, after winning support from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency.
Australia’s largest electrified bus depot goes into operation in Sydney’s west
A the newly operational electric bus depot in Sydney’s west illustrates the infrastructure required to run an electric bus fleet, but also demonstrates that an electric bus fleet requires less charging than originally forecast.
UNSW claims provisional record for fastest single-charge EV over 1,000 km
A solar-powered electric vehicle, designed and built by students of the University of New South Wales (UNSW), has claimed a provisional Guinness World Record by going 1,000 kilometres on a single charge. The researchers managed the feat in under 12 hours.
SA solar-plus-battery project energised in ‘fast’ mid-scale push across NEM
The 5 MW Woods Point Solar and Storage Farm in South Australia is open – it is one of three identical solar storage projects being commissioned by SEI and Yes Group in December, and part of a much larger mid-scale play.
Synthetic inertia on show as Wallgrove big battery reaches full capacity
The first large-scale battery to be connected to the grid in New South Wales has officially reached full production, providing fast frequency response and synthetic inertia services to the transmission network as the state looks to fill the soon-to-be-revealed gap created by retiring coal-fired generators.
Standalone power systems begin migrating to eastern states
Boundary Power, a union between West Australian standalone power system (SAPS) leader Horizon Power and Ampcontrol, has installed its first off-grid system for an unnamed east coast utility in regional New South Wales.
Lightsource bp lands finance for Australian solar farms
Renewable energy developer Lightsource bp will begin full construction activities on two large-scale solar projects with a combined installed capacity of 515 MWdc in Australia after successfully closing a $540 million (USD 365 million) financing package.
NSW officially declares Hunter-Central Coast REZ
Another of the coordinated clean energy zones planned for New South Wales is a step closer to being developed with the state government announcing the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, which has already attracted expressions of interest for almost 40 GW of generation, has been formally declared.
UNSW researchers patent low-cost additive to solve perovskite’s stability problem after achieving world-class results
Researchers from UNSW have discovered a low-cost way to stabilise perovskite solar cells with a “triple function, cheap additive,” research lead Professor Hao tells pv magazine Australia. Perovskite cells using the additive have returned the best stability results yet seen in Australia, according to the team, and among the best in the world.
