New South Wales

Two new solar farms in regional New South Wales are now delivering clean energy to the National Electricity Market with e-commerce giant Amazon announcing its first Australian utility-scale renewable energy investments and are now operational.

Researchers from the University of New South Wales have made a major breakthrough in what was previously conceived of only in theoretical terms, namely, ‘night-time’ solar power.

With Australia’s presence felt strongly at the World Hydrogen Summit in Rotterdam last week, state governments are working to secure European markets through partnership agreements. Yesterday, New South Wales signed an initial agreement with Denmark which will see the distant pair support one another on matters of decarbonisation technology and trade. Just a few days earlier, Queensland’s government signed an MoU with the Netherland’s Port of Rotterdam to collaborate on opportunities to develop a hydrogen export supply chain.

A solar panel incorporated portrait by Jude Rae of Australian scientist, inventor and author Saul Griffith was listed among the finalists of the 2022 Archibald Prize. The portrait embodies Griffith’s renewable energy message to Australia – “Electrify everything.”

Origin Energy has secured planning approval for a 700MW/2,800MWh grid-connected battery to be developed at the site of its coal-fired Eraring power station in the New South Wales Hunter Valley.

With global demand for both large scale and distributed battery energy storage on the rise, Australian battery manufacturer Energy Renaissance has reaffirmed its commitment to produce a lithium-ion storage solution using Australian suppliers and components.

The University of New South Wales and the University of Newcastle will join forces to develop and commercialise “world-leading” technology in solar, renewable hydrogen, storage and green metals after securing $50 million in Federal Government funding through the Trailblazer program.

BlueScope Steel, the country’s largest steelmaker, will partner with its local university in Wollongong and Future Fuels CRC to undertake a 13 month research project investigating options for decarbonising its operations at the Port Kembla Steelworks.

French renewables developer Engie continues to build its Australian clean energy portfolio with confirmation that its 120MW Silverleaf Solar Farm to be constructed near Narrabri in New South Wales has received development approval from the state government.

Three groups of companies remain in the race to serve as network operator for Australia’s first coordinated renewable energy zone with the New South Wales government revealing its shortlist of candidates.