Oceania

The Western Australian Government going to provide a temporary royalty rebate scheme for three lithium producers and their employees are who struggling in the face of low prices. Prices have fallen for the first time since 2014 as spodumene concentrate supply is being oversupplied in advance of the electric vehicle and energy storage boom which hasn’t quite hit yet.

The joint-feasibility study into green hydrogen production and trade between Australia and Germany has officially begun, work on what the German Federal Minister of Research has dubbed the “Wasserstoffbrücke,” or “hydrogen bridge”.

A new serial number ledger is being developed by the Clean Energy Regulator who will be working with solar industry stakeholders to safeguard the national Small-scale Renewable Energy Scheme.

South Australia will likely be the world’s first state to enforce temporary ‘solar shutdowns’ this summer. The real tragedy though, according to solar expert Finn Peacock, is not the curtailment of renewables but rather how poorly the government has managed and communicated its plan.

A collection of mining companies, industry bodies and union groups have been announced as the members of the Future Battery Industry taskforce, the Western Australian McGowan Government’s unit designed to grow the value chain of critical minerals for the energy storage industry for domestic use and export opportunities.

Western Australia’s long-awaited Climate Policy has landed with somewhat of a whimper, nevertheless, there is something to be said of its investment in the uptake of electric vehicles, including what is to become Australia’s longest EV charging network. Nevertheless, there is perhaps something more to say about how dovish this policy is in regards to some of the world’s largest emitters being harboured in Western Australia.

GRS has passed the 550 MW mark in its Australian portfolio with the energisation of its 39 MW Molong Solar Farm in Central West New South Wales. The project is now on the verge of grid connection tests and thereby closing in on full-fledged generation.

At nine solar farms and counting, FRV Australia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Saudi and UAE-based Abdul Latif Jameel, has the experience and commitment to local development to bring difficult projects to fruition. Walla Walla Solar farm adds a whopping 300 MW to the renewable capacity of NSW, and its size and siting have required particular attention to concerns raised in the agricultural Riverina district.

Allume Energy’s SolShare technology equitably spreads the solar love among residents of community housing and apartment buildings that can install PV on top. It has just achieved the certification that will let residents of “multi family units” across America enjoy the benefits of renewable energy.

Alongside targeted upgrades to transmission, and ongoing solar and wind developments, the Andrews Labor Government seeks to keep the breakthroughs rolling through with commitment to funding renewable energy research and start-ups.