Oceania

Construction of the 106 MW Lancaster Solar Farm in northern Victoria is gathering pace with Western Australian contractor Pilecom installing the first of the more than 23,000 piles that will be used in the project.

To evaluate the outdoor performance and stability of perovskite solar cells using contactless and noninvasive methods, an Australian and Chinese research team found a way to use photoluminescence imaging as well as demonstrating a proof of concept for implied open-circuit voltage imaging. Their research relied on cost-effective equipment that operates under direct sunlight.

Planning and transmission delays top the list of development challenges for renewable energy investment in Australia with a new survey showing almost 50% of investors rate the country as only “somewhat attractive” for future projects.

Australian resources company Graphinex has officially launched its battery anode manufacturing hub in north Queensland, a facility capable of taking graphite from mine to battery-ready material using full-scale commercial equipment.

Another big battery project has been unveiled for New South Wales with the state and federal governments receiving a proposal for a 1 GW / 4 GWh battery energy storage facility to be developed at Kiar, on the Central Coast.

Mining giant BHP has struck early-stage agreements with two of the world’s largest battery manufacturers to explore the application of battery technology and electrification across its global operations.

Australia is making record-breaking investments in battery energy storage systems, with $2.4 billion committed in the first three months of 2025 alone. These systems are proving to be vital for meeting renewable energy targets and strengthening energy reliability across many critical industries. That includes mining operators, who are increasingly ramping up BESS deployments to replace diesel generators, cutting costs and emissions.

New large-scale solar farms in Australia’s southeast could be forced to curtail up to two thirds of their power generation by 2027 due to delays in energy transmission infrastructure projects, according to new analysis from the Australian Energy Market Operator.

Australian renewables developer Edify Energy has unveiled plans for a major 2.4 GWh solar and integrated battery energy storage facility in northwest Victoria, adding to its growing portfolio of power generation and storage projects.

Li-S Energy has produced Australia’s first lithium metal foils at its cell production facility in Victoria, a milestone the company says supports its broader mission to commercialise high-performance lithium-sulfur and lithium metal batteries.