Oceania

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency is one of those rare institutions that managed to survive the political energy battles over the last decade. Initially established in 2012, the federally funded agency has dispensed more than $1.9 billion (USD 1.2 billion) in funding to date to support renewable technologies, often at the ‘pre-commercial’ stage.

Renewables developer Maoneng has teamed with Hong Kong-based real estate fund manager Gaw Capital Partners to fast track the development of a 1.9 GW portfolio of big battery and utility-scale solar PV projects in Australia.

Western Power will begin allocating regional properties in Western Australia’s main grid the same electricity supply as their urban counterparts. The shift comes after sustained community pressure since pv magazine Australia first reported on the issue in July 2022.

As parts of northern Victoria remain inundated by flood waters and power outages, the state government has announced $7.5 million (USD 4.7 million) in funding for improved energy resilience through rooftop solar and batteries across 24 towns deemed vulnerable to extreme weather events.

The Western Australian government has allocated six companies land in the state’s mid-west to develop green hydrogen projects, including Fortescue Future Industries and BP.

The Australian federal government’s $20 billion (USD 12.6 billion) Rewiring the Nation program has kicked off with billions allocated to support two major interconnector transmission projects.

Victoria’s Deakin University today launched its $10.3 million (USD 6.5 million) “world-class” facility for advanced battery design, fabrication and testing, in Burwood, a suburb in Melbourne’s east.

The demand for electric vehicles in Australia increased by 65% in 2022, reaching 3.39% market share of total new car sales, according to the Electric Vehicle Council’s latest report. Tesla continues to be the dominant brand, with New South Wales and Australia Capital Territory governments topping the charts on policy leadership.

Australian manufacturer GreatCell has built a cell with roll-to-roll coating technology. It designed it without a hole transport layer (HTL) and used carbon composite back contacts, which offer excellent electrical conductivity.

After acquiring Victorian developer Akaysha Energy in August, the world’s largest asset manager, US company BlackRock, has won the contract to deliver what will apparently be one of the world’s most powerful batteries – the New South Wales Waratah Super Battery. The battery is now expected to have a total capacity of 850 MW / 1,680 MWh.