Oceania

South Australia’s plan to establish a world-leading green hydrogen industry has received a major boost with the state government confirming it has received “tens of billions” of dollars of proposed investments from both Australian and international “heavy-hitters” as it looks to transform land at Port Bonython into a multi-user export-focused precinct.

The Australian mining industry’s transition towards renewable-powered operations continues with Pilbara Minerals appointing Contract Power Australia to install and operate a 6 MW solar farm at its Pilgangoora Lithium Project in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Brett Redman, the former CEO of Australian energy utility AGL has been named as the new chief executive officer at electricity network operator Transgrid.

Patriot Hydrogen has become the latest company to partner with the fast growing Singapore-based hydrogen-via-gasification outfit, CAC-H2.

In the coming weeks, Western Australian mining-cum-materials recovery company Neometals will begin testing at its newly commissioned battery recycling demonstration plant in Hichenbach, Germany, the product of a joint venture with SMS Group. The Primobius facility, as it’s named, has already garnered considerable attention and is a finalist in 2022’s prestigious German Sustainability Award. “We want Primobius to be the preeminent recycler in the world,” the company’s managing director, Chris Reed, told pv magazine Australia.

Less than a year ago and energy market analysts Cornwall Insight Australia projected a battery energy storage pipeline of 7 GW. This week the firm has updated its outlook and puts Australia’s current pipeline of proposed projects at over 26 GW. What is more, the technical lifetime of these assets is increasing too.

Australia broke solar installation records across all rooftop sectors in 2020, solidifying its “remarkable” position in the global solar market with the highest per capita capacity at over 810 watts per person.

Integrating solar into Australia’s natural gas industry could reduce onshore gas facilities’ emissions by 19% in Western Australia, 18% in Queensland, and 21% in the Northern Territory, according to research conducted by National Energy Resources Australia (NERA).

Victoria’s electricity transmission network looks like it will be soon be owned by Canadian asset management group Brookfield, after the consortium upped its offer yesterday.

Australian natural gas and electricity company, APA Group, is set to build a 88 MW solar farm at Mica Creek in Mount Isa, central Queensland. The news just as APA was confirmed to have lost its bidding war for Victorian transmission network AusNet.