Oceania

The head of one of Australia’s largest energy generators, retailers and developers has pointed to rising costs and uncertainty about recovering those costs as the cause of a drop in investment for large-scale renewables that threatens Australia’s clean energy goals.

New analysis from independent think tank Climate Energy Finance finds renewable energy and decarbonisation of industry is receiving just 7% of the ‘Big 4’ banks’ collective multi-billion-dollar sustainable finance target allocations.

Mounting system provider S-5! is to boost the size of its Australian catalogue with the impending launch of two new mounting components for rooftop PV systems, including a new mount that allows for module level power electronics to be attached directly to solar panel frames.

A CSIRO survey of Australians’ attitudes toward the country’s renewable energy transition has found solar farms have the highest level of acceptance, but in the past three years, that trust has waned.

Australian iron ore and renewables giant Fortescue Energy has signed a joint venture with Moroccan phosphate mining company OCP Group to supply green hydrogen, ammonia, and fertilisers to Morocco, Europe and international markets.

Building a domestic solar panel manufacturing industry based on Australian innovation could generate up to 60,000 jobs and help cement the nation’s future as a renewable energy superpower but access to capital and focused policies are essential if manufacturers are to reach scale where they can be cost competitive internationally.

Construction has officially commenced at Spanish renewable energy developer Acciona Energia’s 380 MW Aldoga Solar Farm being developed near the industrial centre of Gladstone on the central Queensland coast.

Queensland government-owned network operator Powerlink has completed construction work on the transmission infrastructure that will pave the way for more than 2 GW of renewable energy assets in the state’s southeast to connect to the National Electricity Market.

Fortescue has awarded energy infrastructure provider GenusPlus Group two contracts worth a combined $50 million to deliver transmission infrastructure as the mining giant works to decarbonise its iron ore operations in Western Australia.

A Western Australian Aboriginal corporation’s plan to create one of the country’s largest renewable energy projects has reached a new milestone with the registration of the Indigenous Land Use Agreement for the planned 3 GW project by the National Native Title Tribunal.