South Australia

The operator of the 150 MW/193 MWh Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia has been fined $900,000 after being sued by the Australian Energy Regulator for failing to deliver on its promise of providing services essential to maintaining the stability of the power grid.

South Australia’s Flinders University has installed 20 vehicle-to-grid (V2G) chargers to fully utilise the battery capacity of its growing electric vehicle fleet. It plans to use the distributed EV fleet to supply power to the campus grid in the evening. The initiative is supported by $350,000 (USD 220,000) of funding from the state government.

South Australia utility SA Water has energised another solar PV plant as part of a $300 million solar investment designed to save on both costs and carbon. switching on a 10.3 MW solar system at its Rocky Gully pump station near Murray Bridge in the state’s south-east.

The market operator today announced a “staged” return to the national energy market’s normal operations as 4000 MW of generation capacity comes back into operation.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) says it has not suspended solar and wind project commissioning, though it noted the schedules for some projects have been adjusted because of the ongoing energy supply crisis.

Australian energy giant AGL Energy has announced its leadership of a consortium of industry partners for a feasibility study into whether its Torrens Island facility can become a green hydrogen hub for domestic users and export.

Progress on the $300 Eyre Peninsula Link transmission project in South Australia has hit a hurdle with the Communications, Electrical Plumbing Union issuing a statement saying it had shut down the construction due to “appalling” health and safety conditions.

Australian solar thermal specialist Vast Solar has partnered with storage development company 1414 Degrees to revive the long-awaited Aurora Solar Energy Project – which is to comprise a combination of solar thermal, PV, and battery energy storage technologies – at Port Augusta in South Australia.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) this afternoon suspended the electricity wholesale spot market in all five of the participating National Electricity Market states, saying it has become “impossible” to operate.

Solar installers and resellers can now access up to $250,000 on interest-free terms to increase their stocks of Australian-made solar panels after PV module manufacturer Tindo Solar teamed with business financer Moula Pay.