Oceania

Australian super funds Hesta and Aware Super have become minority partners into a newly launched renewable energy platform, Intera Renewables. Orchestrated by infrastructure manager Palisade Investment Partners, the fund aims to provide investors with diversified assets in terms of location, technology and offtakers, targeting stable returns and funding for new projects.

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.

Household’s rooftop solar supplied a record 14% of Australia’s electricity this summer – contributing more than brown coal, and more than large-scale wind or solar farms.

The Greens and Labor have reached a deal over the proposed Safeguard Mechanism amendments with the scheme to now include a “hard cap” on emissions and a “safeguard trigger” for ministerial intervention.

Australian battery technology innovator Sparc Technologies is reporting “exceptional” results in its campaign to develop sustainably sourced hard carbon material for the production of anodes for the nascent sodium-ion battery market.

The Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant, which is expected to produce approximately 75 tonnes of green hydrogen annually from behind-the-meter solar energy, is nearing reality after CS Energy formalised its joint venture arrangements with ASX-listed gas company Senex Energy.

With the roll out of electric vehicles in Australia accelerating, a team of researchers from the University of Queensland explore what the impact is of charging them on a power grid under strain.

Australian renewable energy developer MPower plans to step up its activities after establishing a funding relationship with international investment firm Singapore outfit Ampyr Energy that will help finance the growth of its portfolio of mid-scale solar power and battery energy storage projects.

Plans to develop a major green hydrogen production facility near the South Australian industrial city of Whyalla has sparked global interest with the state government revealing 29 international and domestic players have signalled their interest in delivering the project.

Australia has been warned it must act swiftly to capture the economic and strategic opportunities of a booming battery industries sector that is predicted could provide $55.2 billion (USD 36.87 billion) in additional gross domestic product to the economy by the end of the decade.