Oceania

Hydrogen has been touted as the fuel of the future, and the technology features prominently in the Morrison government’s plan to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

International oil giant Shell is set to acquire Australian energy retailer Powershop after partnering with Sydney-headquartered investment manager Infrastructure Capital Group in a $729 million deal which will see the consortium purchase all of Meridian Energy’s Australian assets.

The New South Wales Government is expecting the state’s green hydrogen industry to boom after the legislation underpinning its Hydrogen Strategy was approved by the parliament, unlocking up to $3 billion in government incentives to rapidly increase the scale and competitiveness of the industry.

The owner of the 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm in Western Australia has confirmed it will look to accelerate its roll out of renewable energy projects in the Asia-Pacific region after raising more than $34 million in Series A financing.

Kallis Energy Investments is proposing a whopping 6 GW renewable hydrogen project in South Australia, with founder Terry Kallis telling pv magazine Australia the project will not seek to connect its 3 GW of planned solar and wind assets to the already congested grid.

Brisbane-based startup Evos has unveiled its first electric vehicle charger, boasting simple installation and transportability as well as the company’s own energy management software. The charger will be available from next month.

Greek company Mytilineos has reached financial close on all three of its 40 MWp solar farms in New South Wales, marking an important milestone in the company’s strategic move into the Australian market.

After a controversial beginning, the Victorian Solar Homes Program recovered and is now setting new records. From the early days when solar installers were forced to protest due to the unintended effects of the policy’s first iteration, to today when more than 165,000 homes have solar as a result of the program, it is fair to say that Victoria is headed into a bright summer.

Researchers at the University of Queensland will conduct an international trial to assess if the spare battery capacity in electric vehicles could be used to accelerate the rollout of renewable energy, support the electricity network, and potentially power homes in the future.

In a major milestone for New South Wales, green hydrogen is now being injected into the state’s gas network for the first time with energy infrastructure company Jemena confirming its $15 million Western Sydney Green Hydrogen Hub has started making the zero-emissions fuel available for home, business and transport use.