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Anglo-Australian multinational Rio Tinto has invested in European-based battery technology and manufacturing company Inobat Auto with the mining giant aiming to extend its operations throughout the electric vehicle battery value chain in Europe.

The latest estimates of electricity generation costs in Australia have confirmed solar and wind continue to be the cheapest sources of new-build electricity generation, even when factoring in additional integration costs such as storage and new transmission infrastructure.

New South Wales-based development company Greenspot has lodged a planning application for a massive 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery energy storage system to be built at the site of the shuttered coal-fired Wallerawang Power Station near Lithgow in the Central Tablelands.

Coal is likely to be completely gone from Victoria’s electricity system by 2032 with most other parts of Australia not far behind, a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator declared last week.

The Australian arm of United States-based multinational food and beverage corporation PepsiCo has made the switch to 100% renewable electricity after partnering with Engie and the owners of the 10 MW Northam Solar Farm in Western Australia’s wheatbelt region to access power purchase agreements.

Australian waste management company Cleanaway has turned to rooftop solar in its search for energy efficiency, investing almost $5 million in a national rooftop solar PV program which it predicts will slash its electricity bill and reduce its reliance on the grid.

In an Australian first, up to 100% of daytime operations at two major iron ore mines have been powered entirely by renewable energy after power utility Alinta Energy switched on the 60 MW Chichester Hub Solar Farm in Western Australia’s Pilbara region.

Large-scale renewable energy generators, including wind and solar PV farms will ramp up to 140 GW from the current 15 GW, more than doubling every decade to 2050 while rooftop solar is expected to increase from 15 GW to 70 GW over the same period as the “accelerating” transformation of Australia’s energy sector continues.

Swiss multinational commodities trader Trafigura and its majority owned metals manufacturing business Nyrstar have unveiled plans to construct a $750 million hydrogen manufacturing facility at the Port Pirie smelter in South Australia.

Australian renewable energy developer Genex Power has penned an offtake agreement with Tesla that will smooth the way for it to secure finance for the 50 MW/100 MWh Bouldercombe Battery Project being developed near Rockhampton in central Queensland.