South Australia

South Australia had a notable wind generation rate during the final quarter of 2021 with ~569MW of average wind generation, accounting for ~57% of total average generation of the state and it is still going strong in this quarter.

Work on the long-awaited 280MW Cultana Solar Farm in South Australia appears set to begin with Simec Energy Australia announcing this week it is preparing to start construction on the ~$350 million project.

A new generation of solar-powered cars is set to be tested in the harsh Australian outback next year after organisers of the World Solar Challenge confirmed the international car racing event will make its return in 2023.

The South Australian industrial city of Whyalla has been revealed as the preferred location for a $593 million green hydrogen project that the state opposition plans to build if it wins this month’s state election.

The realisation of biodegradable batteries is a step closer thanks to research from South Australia’s Flinders University, which has developed a 2.8V organic polymer battery. While this battery was made from synthetic polymers, research lead Dr Zhongfan Jia told pv magazine Australia the team’s future iterations will source “materials directly from nature” saying this promises to reduce waste and reliance on mined materials and could have novel applications in fields like biotech.

Today in South Australia, the market appears to have received a reminder that National Electricity Market Dispatch Engine (NEMDE) is technology agnostic, and that all types of technologies can experience their own challenges leading to price volatility.

Major construction work on the first new electricity interconnector to be built between Australian states in 15 years has commenced with transmission company ElectraNet confirming work has begun on the South Australian section of the $2.3 billion Project EnergyConnect which will link power grids across three states, potentially unlocking gigawatts of renewable energy projects in its path.

South Australia will extend its ‘Switch for Solar’ program in which eligible low-income residents can opt to have a solar system installed in exchange for their next ten years of government concession payments.

A fire caused by a lithium-ion home battery system in northern Adelaide over the weekend has led authorities to urge solar and battery owners to be vigilant with maintaining their systems.

South Australia has found itself at the heart of a 21st century gold rush, though this time for naturally occurring hydrogen. Since February 2021, 18 exploration licenses have been granted or applied for in the state by six different companies searching for natural hydrogen.