Western Australia

A major project featuring 120 MW wind and 50 MW solar PV in Western Australia has secured all state and federal approvals and is scheduled to start construction later this year. An energy storage facility is to be included at a later stage.

Japanese industrial giant Sumitomo Corporation has fully acquired Infinite Energy, Western Australia’s solar installer and electricity retailer, thus expanding on its local coal-focused portfolio.

PXiSE will deploy its Active Control Technology to manage up to 50,000 distributed energy resources across Horizon Power’s 2.3 million square kilometre network, which it says will enable higher levels of renewable energy.

The world’s first Zephyr Solar High Altitude Pseudo-Satellite operating base has been officially established in the north of Western Australia. The unmanned aerial vehicle, running exclusively on solar power, will be operating out of Wyndham with the goal to provide observation and communications services to a range of customers.

Around 40 residential properties across the port city of Fremantle, Western Australia, will be able to trade solar power using a blockchain-enabled platform. The trial is even open for residents who do not have solar PV on their rooftops.

In an attempt to encourage more large scale renewable development while maintaining grid stability, Western Power has introduced its Generator Interim Access (GIA) mechanism for 900 MW of wind and large scale solar projects. The GIA will open the door for some PV power plant projects to go ahead in the state, if they agree to curtail production when instructed to do so by the grid operator.

The deal to merge solar hybrid developer Energy Made Clean (EMC), a Carnegie subsidiary, with M-Power is off. Carnegie Clean Energy Chairman Terry Stinson made the announcement at the company’s AGM last week, citing M-Power’s owner TAG’s inability to raise “$4 million required to fund the combined businesses.”

The 10 MW Northam Solar Farm has begun feeding electricity into the grid. According to Carnegie Clean Energy, full commercial operations is expected in the coming weeks once the required tests are completed successfully.

Australia’s first community battery trial went live on Monday, after the 52 available spots had been snapped up by Mandurah households – three months ahead of schedule. The trial involves a bulk Tesla battery integrated into existing grid and owned and operated by Western Power and Synergy.

Independence Group is set to add to a 6.7 MW solar PV array to its existing diesel power station at the Nova mine in Western Australia. Remote power generation specialist Zenith Energy has been contracted to deliver the solar project, in what will be Australia’s first fully-integrated commercial hybrid diesel/solar PV facility.