Oceania

To reach net zero by 2050, Australia will need 300 GW of wind and solar, and $413 billion (USD 2.72 billion) of investment, according to BloombergNEF. To reach hydrogen superpower status, that figure balloons to 812 GW of renewables and $739 billion of investment.

The ACT government has awarded over a million dollars to support the commercialisation of technologies from six upcoming renewable companies. Round three of the territory’s $12 million innovation fund includes support for a startup which has developed a 3D printer capable of printing electronics.

Australia and India will establish a Green Hydrogen Taskforce, with prime ministers today agreeing to the Taskforce’s terms of reference. The meeting strengthens ties between India and Australia in relation to renewable energy ambitions and manufacturing, with plans extending to critical mineral and solar manufacturing.

GoodWe plans to bring a range of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) products to Australia, announcing a partnership with specialist Umax Energy. The manufacturer this month released the details of its lightweight new panel, and plans to introduce an integrated solar roof tile to the Australian market.

Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners (CIP) has announced plans to develop an $30 billion (USD 19,95 billion) green hydrogen production hub on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, while a new research study shows the feasibility of gas-to-hydrogen pipeline conversion in Western Australia.

Australia’s energy ministers have agreed to provide $3 million (USD 2 million) to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to ensure new renewable projects are connect to the grid before next summer.

Enphase Energy’s latest IQ home battery energy storage system is set to land in Australia in July, making it the first region outside the company’s home US market to see the system. The batteries feature triple the peak power and double the continuous power of the previous model.

Victoria’s newly released state budget includes $1 billion (USD 670 million) for the resurrected government energy outfit, the State Electricity Commission, almost $200 million for clean energy education, as well as funding to streamline critical minerals projects and to install 100 new neighbourhood batteries.

The Energy Security Board has been scrapped with Australia’s federal, state and territory energy ministers opting to replace it with a new “fit-for-purpose” advisory panel that is better able to meet the challenges of the energy transformation taking place in the national electricity market.

The rollout of rooftop solar in the coastal town of Broome in northern Western Australia has received a major boost with a 274.45 kW PV system installed at the local high school as the state government continues its push to deliver solar energy solutions for its remote and regional schools.