Oceania

The investment platforms from Octopus Investments Australia are set to acquire three new projects in the coming months in Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales. Launched in 2022, the OREO and OASIS platforms “allow wholesale investors and mums and dads to invest alongside big institutional investors and get access to big projects in Australia,” Managing Director Sam Reynolds told pv magazine Australia.

Hydrogen truck maker Hyzon has launched what is being hailed as Australia’s first locally designed and built hydrogen-powered truck at its regional headquarters in Melbourne. The 27-tonne truck is hitting Australian roads in a series of commercial trials this year, including as part of a longterm partnership with RACV, which has ordered three tow trucks.

Executives from Gentari, the clean energy subsidiary of Malaysia’s state-owned oil company Petronas, and Japan’s biggest steelmaker, Nippon Steel, are eying Australia for future investments in renewables projects and green-steel manufacturing.

Australian mining company Australian Rare Earths is moving forward with plans to apply for a licence to mine rare earths in South Australia’s southeast as part of its flagship Koppamurra project.

Australia’s utility-scale solar sector had its third highest month on record in February, generating 1,463 GWh. New South Wales was the country’s top generator, showing the state’s colossal coal turnaround is well underway.

The Queensland government will acquire the $5 billion (USD 3.37 billion) CopperString transmission line project which is set to unlock 6 GW of renewable energy resources and connect Queensland’s North West Minerals Province to Australia’s national grid. The shovel-ready project, many years in the making, is hailed as the biggest expansion to Australia’s energy grid in decades.

The gap between men and women working in the energy sector today is stark, but the issue is finally emerging as an international priority. GridBeyond’s Sales Director for Australia, Lisa Balk, shares her experience and solutions ahead of International Women’s Day on March 8.

The Queensland government will team with the Smart Energy Council to develop an industry-led solar panel recycling scheme and investigate a ban on the dumping of end-of-life panels as it prepares for a surge in the number of decommissioned PV modules coming off rooftops.

Metal recycling company Sims plans to offload its 50% stake in Queensland-headquartered renewable energy group LMS Energy which owns and operates six solar plants and 36 waste-to-energy facilities at landfill sites throughout Australia.

Two new green hydrogen projects in New South Wales will share in $64 million (USD 43.25 million) in support as the state government looks to accelerate the development of a hydrogen industry which is projected to attract more than $80 billion in private investment.