Is Australia’s solar industry really still shonky? Finn Peacock on the industry’s best and worst bits
Why do you almost never hear about prosecutions for illegal phoenix activity? Why do some Approved Solar Retailers behave so badly? And what remains of Australian solar’s cowboy history?
WA start-up prepares to be one of the world’s first Li-ion battery anode producers outside China
With reins tightly held by China, a handful of players are trying to prise the production of a core ingredient of lithium-ion batteries out of Goliath’s hand before the battery boom begins in earnest with the electrification of the transport sector. The head of one of those companies, WA start-up International Graphite, spoke to pv magazine Australia about the hunger of both investors and customers, and the surprisingly collaborative race to feed global demand.
Angus Taylor launches $50 million carbon capture fund despite long road
As present affairs of state attest, sweeping things under the rug is the preferred strategy of the Morrison Government, and hence its $50 million investment in carbon capture and storage (CCS). According to a recently published report from IDTechEx, CCS faces a difficult few years and a long way to go. Unfortunately, even if he does reach its forecasted scale by 2040, its capacity to remove emissions from the atmosphere in any hurry is negligible.
Grid Connection: Meeting the new AEMO requirements for simulation model
Last month, the Australian Energy Market Operator imposed new obligations on utility-scale project developers in the National Electricity Market. These new obligations attend to the test requirements for simulation models in grid connection. Tony Morton, global technical head for power systems at Vysus Group, argues that these new requirements put a lot more work on project developers, but should provide greater certainty.
Renewables need land – and lots of it. That poses tricky questions for regional Australia
Renewable energy capacity in Australia is expected to double, or even triple, over the next 20 years. There is one oft-overlooked question in this transition: where will it all be built?
Against the odds, South Australia is a renewable energy powerhouse. How on Earth did they do it?
Less than two decades ago, South Australia generated all its electricity from fossil fuels. Last year, renewables provided a whopping 60% of the state’s electricity supply. The remarkable progress came as national climate policy was gripped by paralysis – so how did it happen?
Compressed green hydrogen ship for Aussie exports deemed ‘highly competitive’
A scoping study has found Global Energy Ventures’ compressed hydrogen ship to be both technically feasible and ‘highly competitive’ to transport the hyped future fuel at distances that conveniently connect Australia to Southeast Asian markets.
GE chooses Australia to launch its solar inverter range
Just as Australia thought it’s pioneering days were over, it has become the first country in the world to sell American giant General Electric’s new solar inverters.
Government advisors class multiple renewable projects among Australia’s highest infrastructure priorities
Australia’s infrastructure advisory body has added a number of renewable energy-related projects to its priority list, recognising the need for investment in the “once-in-a-lifetime transition from thermal generation to intermittent renewables.”
Turnbull to chair Fortescue’s ambitious renewable energy business
Iron ore giant Fortescue Metals Group’s ambitious Fortescue Future Industries wants to build a renewable energy portfolio of more than 235 GW. The ambition, combined with the apparently bullish effort of Fortescue executives in recent months, has garnered headlines, and now Fortescue has announced former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and former National Intelligence chief Nick Warner as part of its team.
