Oceania

The Hazelwood big battery has been commissioned at the site of the retired Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria. A collaboration between Engie, Eku Energy and Fluence, the 150 MW battery claims a number of Australian firsts.

Queensland’s government has allocated $19 billion (USD 12.9 billion) to deliver on its energy transition plan, with a heavy focus on public ownership of energy assets. Queensland’s flush financial position was enabled by recent change to increase coal royalties, which injected an extra $10.5 billion into the budget.

Recharge Industries, which had hoped to begin construction on its Geelong lithium-ion gigafactory this year, is reportedly refocusing its manpower on British endeavours. Despite Australia’s growing rhetoric around capturing more of the battery value chain, companies in the space are turning attention overseas.

Queensland project developer the Hydrogen Collective has announced it will have green hydrogen available for supply to commercial customers from late 2023 with construction to begin in the coming weeks on a solar-powered production facility to be built at Goondiwindi in the state’s southwest.

As the hunt for more efficient batteries continues, Queensland energy tech company AnteoTech has sharpened its focus on the development of its silicon anode binder technology and pure silicon anode design that it claims can deliver up to a 35% improvement in energy capacity compared to current high energy battery cells.

Electric vehicles (EVs) are expanding at a fast pace in several of the world’s largest markets. This is being driven by governments and automakers who are promoting electricity powered vehicles as a key technology to curb fossil fuel use, fight climate change and air pollution, but rapid EV uptake is also creating challenges for the grid.

The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has awarded the Australian arm of Malaysia-headquartered property developer Mulpha an $80 million (USD 53.95 million) loan to help deliver the first stage of an energy-efficient apartment development in Sydney’s Hills district which is to be powered by 100% renewable energy.

Australia is set to electrify everything. Vibrant communities willing to trial the transition are the first in line to learn what to do and how to bring everyone along, reports pv magazine Australia’s Natalie Filatoff.

Compulsory acquisition letters have been sent to landowners along the route of the Central-West Orana transmission link this week by the state’s Renewable Energy Zone planner, EnergyCo. It marks the beginning of the formal negotiation process for the transmission line, which has yet to be put on public exhibition.

Australian green hydrogen proponent Fortescue Future Industries and French renewables major Total Eren are among five project developers provided with exclusivity over land in the Northern Territory government’s Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct on Darwin Harbour.