Oceania

Renewable energy generators chasing access rights to the new Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone network will be presented with a streamlined application process as the New South Wales government prioritises achieving financial close on the network project.

EnergyAustralia says it will increase the capacity of a battery energy storage system to be built adjacent to its Hallett Power Station in South Australia from an initial 50 MW to 150 MW, and 200 MWh to 600 MWh, after the successful completion of the first stage.

New South Wales electricity distributor Ausgrid is exploring the potential of solar-powered microgrids to enhance energy security for communities during extreme weather events and extended outages with construction having started on what will be the company’s first microgrid.

S-5! has introduced a module-level power electronics mount for solar developers, installers, end users, and engineering, procurement and construction contractors who are looking for a mounting device for solar module frames, without attaching to rails.

Western Australian motoring organisation RAC is trialling an electric roadside assistance van specifically designed to provide a mobile battery top-up service for electric vehicle drivers who run out of charge.

Mega-miner BHP has reportedly put a request for proposal out to energy suppliers seeking new wind, solar and battery energy storage capacity as it progresses plans to electrify and decarbonise its mining operations in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

The Clean Energy Investor Group has warned that solar farms in southwest New South Wales and northwest Victoria could suffer from “large and unpredictable” swings in revenues because of material changes in marginal loss factors.

The Engineering, Procurement, and Construction industry stands at the nexus of innovation and change in the renewable energy sector where tendering processes and project approval rates will become critical focal points for many firms and broader developers.

New Zealand renewables developer Lodestone Energy has received planning consent for three new large-scale solar farms on the country’s South Island as it continues the roll out of a PV strategy that it expects will deliver more than 500 GWh in solar generation.

Dreamworld on Queensland’s Gold Coast is now home to the largest solar system at an Australian theme park after the operators teamed with Origin Energy to install a 708 kW rooftop array that is expected to generate almost one quarter of the park’s annual electricity needs.