New Zealand

International oil giant Shell is set to acquire Australian energy retailer Powershop after partnering with Sydney-headquartered investment manager Infrastructure Capital Group in a $729 million deal which will see the consortium purchase all of Meridian Energy’s Australian assets.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures’ Australian platform has shifted its attentions to across the ditch, teaming with one of New Zealand’s largest energy providers in a joint venture which will develop up to 500 MW of solar PV capacity over the next five years.

Hive Energy, Ethical Power Group and Solar South West have set up a joint venture they hope will lead to 350 MW of utility scale installations in a country which does not suffer from grid congestion and which appears to have an energy transition-friendly administration.

Powering Australian Renewables Fund, a partnership between AGL Energy and QIC, has formally taken control of Tilt Renewables on the same day the consortium called on the Australian federal government to set a net zero 2050 target.

New Zealand could be home to the world’s largest green hydrogen production plant with gen-tailers Meridian Energy and Contact Energy teaming up to explore the potential development of a large-scale facility in the island nation’s southernmost region.

Global infrastructure developer AECOM has run analysis on every petroleum fuel refinery and storage & import terminal in Australia and New Zealand as a novel means of locating sites well suited to future renewable development and hydrogen industries. “Some sites that were really suited to a wide range of end uses and those were our so-called ‘unicorn sites,’” AECOM’s Craig Bearsley told pv magazine Australia.

Australia’s laggardly uptake of electric vehicles is set for a boost after Origin Energy announced a partnership with Custom Fleet to provide a holistic solution to EV fleet transition. Fleet cars make up almost half of all new car sales in Australia and upgrading Australia’s commercial vehicles to electric is seen as key to reducing transport emissions.

Smart metering services provider Intellihub cracked the million meter mark this week as the smart meter market in Australia and New Zealand surges off the back of continuing solar uptake.

Drinks giant Coca-Cola Amatil has announced it will power 100% of its Australian operations with renewable electricity by 2025, and be net-zero for direct emissions by 2040.

Smart metering services provider Intellihub has outlined a series of targeted reforms – including strengthening testing requirements – in its submission to the Australian Energy Market Commission’s (AEMC) review into the sector’s regulatory framework, cautioning that unless changes are made Australia risks being left behind.