Western Australia

Australian renewables company Pacific Energy has powered up the first of four solar-fuelled hybrid power plants being rolled out at Westgold Resources’ mining operations in Western Australia.

Mining heavyweight Mineral Resources has signed a deal to progress Lithium Australia’s lithium extraction technology by funding the development and operation of a pilot plant that would produce lithium iron phosphate to be used in electric vehicle batteries.

Pilbara Minerals and Australian technology company Calix have received board approvals to build a ‘game changing’ processing plant to produce value-added lithium product at the miner’s flagship Pilgangoora project in Western Australia.

Horizon Power, Western Australia’s regional power provider, will deploy a 78 kW/220 kWh vanadium flow battery in the state’s north as it seeks to increase its understanding of how the Australian-born technology can be best utilised to support long periods of 100% renewable energy supply in regional and remote areas.

Mineral Resources has become the latest Australian miner to incorporate solar into its energy strategy after installing a solar-plus-storage system at its Wonmunna iron ore mine in Western Australia. The clean energy system will provide about one-third of the mine’s energy.

Gas major Atco has ditched its plans for a commercial-scale green hydrogen manufacturing facility proposed for Western Australia’s remote midwest, saying the distance between the production facility and end use undermined the commercial viability of the project.

Traditional owners in Western Australia’s East Kimberley region will partner with investment and advisory firm Pollination to develop what would be Australia’s largest solar farm as part of plans to build a giga-scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in the country’s northwest.

The traditional owners of Yindjibarndi lands in Western Australia have struck a deal with Philippines-based energy giant ACEN Corporation to develop more than 3 GW of wind, solar and battery storage in the state’s Pilbara region.

An international consortium planning to build a 50 GW renewable energy hub in Australia’s southwest has signed an early agreement with Korea’s largest electricity utility to advance the development of what would be one of the world’s largest green hydrogen production facilities.

Western Australian government-owned utility Synergy will offer free electricity to eligible customers in a move that is designed in part to help counter challenges the state’s main power grid faces when rooftop solar generation is high and demand for energy in the system is low.