Oceania

Researchers from the University of Adelaide, along with international partners, have successfully used seawater with no pre-treatment to produce green hydrogen. The team did this by introducing an acid layer over the catalysts in situ. “We have split natural seawater into oxygen and hydrogen with nearly 100% efficiency… using a non-precious and cheap catalyst in a commercial electrolyser,” University of Adelaide’s Professor Shizhang Qiao said.

An Australian cleantech company that claims its technology could enable hydrogen production of below $1.50 per kilogram by the middle of the decade is one of four green fuel projects to share in more than $100 million (USD 78 million) funding awarded as part of a collaboration between the Australian and German governments.

UK-based developer Renewable Energy Systems Group is planning to build a 250 MW/600 MWh battery energy storage system in the New South Wales Hunter region that is says would provide critical grid services and support Australia’s renewable energy transition.

Renewable energy generation provided a record high proportion of Australia’s electricity mix in the final three months of 2022, supplying on average more than 40% of power in the nation’s main grid, eclipsing the previous record of 35.8% set in the same period the previous year.

Sixteen projects representing more than 4.3 GW of large-scale generation and long-duration storage have been shortlisted as part of the first of a rolling schedule of competitive tenders designed to ensure New South Wales’ successful transition from coal-fired power generation to a renewables-based energy system.

Australian energy software provider Evergen will take its solar and battery optimisation technology to Japan after teaming with Japanese companies Sharing Energy and Sassor on a pilot project to explore how to best commercialise distributed energy resources, including rooftop solar and residential battery energy storage systems, in Japan.

Scientists from Australia are among an international team of researchers that predict lightweight, high-performance perovskite solar modules could soon become competitive with crystalline PV modules in the residential segment, as such products will likely have lower manufacturing and balance-of-system costs in the future.

In pursuit of its Australian target of developing 3 GW and delivering 1 GW of renewable projects by 2027, China-headquartered PV module manufacturer and project developer Risen Energy has unveiled plans to develop a 100 MW/400 MWh battery in regional New South Wales.

Researchers from Victoria’s Deakin University say they have successfully tested a new process that can safely and effectively extract silicon from end-of-life solar panels, then convert it into a nano material worth more than $45,000 (USD 31,500) per kilogram that can be used to build better batteries.

Australian climate tech platform Acacia will launch a new solar feature enabling customers to get a digital solar quote, as well as estimated financial and carbon savings, without speaking to any sales people. The company says the tool is in response to what are often poor buying experiences in the solar sector.