Western Australia

Resource-sector heavyweight Rio Tinto is planning to invest $600 million (USD 402 million) building two new solar farms and battery energy storage systems in the Pilbara region of Western Australia as part of the company’s efforts to decarbonise its iron ore operations.

The booming uptake of home PV systems has steered Western Australia to a new peak for instantaneous renewable energy share, with clean energy – including rooftop and large-scale solar – providing a record 81% of the total electricity generated in the state’s wholesale electricity market.

Australia’s first hybrid solar and renewable hydrogen microgrid has officially launched as green hydrogen production began at Horizon Power’s demonstration plant in the coastal community of Denham in Western Australia’s Gascoyne region.

Western Australia’s largest virtual power plant, the government-support Project Symphony, is live. The project is particularly noteworthy for its introduction of new markets to reward different services and its use of Dynamic Operating Envelopes.

There is almost a daily announcement about a major green hydrogen project being built somewhere in the world. Hydrogen and ammonia can be made from fossil fuels but also from renewable energy and water using an electrolyser producing zero carbon emissions. It is critically important that we can tell when it is zero emissions and prevent ‘greenwashing.’

Australia’s first utility-scale solar PV project is marking its 10th anniversary, a milestone that also serves to highlight the pace and scale of the country’s transition to a renewables-led future.

Western Power will begin allocating regional properties in Western Australia’s main grid the same electricity supply as their urban counterparts. The shift comes after sustained community pressure since pv magazine Australia first reported on the issue in July 2022.

The Western Australian government has allocated six companies land in the state’s mid-west to develop green hydrogen projects, including Fortescue Future Industries and BP.

West Australian smart solar glass developer ClearVue has made the move into the residential housing market, securing its first order to supply its power-generating solar PV windows for a luxury residence being constructed in the Australian Capital Territory.

In a big week for Shell, the oil major has announced two joint ventures: the first of which involves the development of one of Australia’s largest batteries at 500 MW / 1,000 MWh alongside partner Ampyr Australia. The second involves the acquisition of a hybrid wind, solar and battery project in Western Australia with the UK’s Foresight Group.