Renewable Energy

As battery storage technology becomes more affordable, more companies are turning to renewable energy as a means of cutting down on energy costs. PACE talks to Total Construction’s James Bolton and Rob Blythman about what needs to be considered when transitioning to solar power. With high power costs looking likely to remain a norm, Australian … Continue reading Powering the factories of the future →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has released a report that outlines renewable energy options for all Australian industrial users of process heat. The report, Renewable Energy Options for Industrial Process Heat, states that abundant opportunities exist for industrial users to switch to renewable energy alternatives to provide process heat. The report considers all industries … Continue reading ARENA releases report on renewable options for process heat →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $8 million in funding to Neoen Australia for an expansion of the Tesla-built Hornsdale Power Reserve battery in South Australia. The $71 million project will see the current battery, which is already the largest in the world, expanded to demonstrate the ability for grid-scale batteries to provide … Continue reading World’s largest battery to be expanded →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has provided $1.9 million in funding to Queensland Nitrates to assess the feasibility of the construction and operation of a renewable ammonia plant at its existing facility near Moura in Central Queensland. The consortium, led by QNP and partners Neoen and Worley, proposes to produce 20,000 tonnes per year … Continue reading ARENA funds feasibility study for renewable ammonia production →

One of Queensland’s largest wind farms, Mt Emerald Wind Farm, has been officially opened 50 kilometres south west of Cairns. The Mt Emerald Wind Farm is to supply 500 million kilowatt hours of renewable electricity every year, which is reportedly enough to power 80,000 homes a year, or the equivalent to supplying about one third … Continue reading Mt Emerald Wind Farm officially opened in North Queensland →

Woodside Energy has teamed up with Monash University to develop a state-of-the-art “living laboratory” and a long-term research partnership to support Australia’s low-carbon energy transition. Woodside will contribute $16.5 million to the construction of the Woodside Building for Technology and Design, located in the Monash Technology Precinct. The Precinct houses Australia’s largest concentration of research … Continue reading Renewable energy research and teaching facility to be built at Monash University →

Two Western Australian mines are switching to wind, solar and battery power as a way of improving reliability with lower emissions at a lower cost. Gold Fields’ Agnew gold mine is already constructing a wind, solar, battery and gas hybrid facility at their site 1,000 kilometres north east of Perth, which has received $13.5 million … Continue reading Western Australian mines power forward with hybrid energy projects →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is providing $3 million in funding to Port Gregory Wind Farm (PGWF) to build a grid-connected wind, solar and lithium-ion battery project to power a remote mine in Western Australia. The project will consist of a hybrid 2.5 MW wind farm, 1 MW solar farm and a 2 MW/0.5 … Continue reading ARENA funds solar, wind and battery project to power mining operations →

CSIRO and the University of British Columbia have announced that they will collaborate on clean energy research that is to align with the latest call to action from the Mission Innovation initiative. Mission Innovation consists of 23 countries and the European Commission working to accelerate clean energy innovation through research, development and demonstration. Launched in … Continue reading CSIRO and University of British Columbia to collaborate on clean energy research →

Australia’s energy mix is projected to change radically due to progressive consumer demands and new technologies, according to TransGrid’s Fiona Orton. Orton, who is the future grid manager at TransGrid, said that developing a long-term vision for the energy sector requires careful consideration about how technology, regulation, market structures and customer needs may evolve over … Continue reading Integrated approach required to keep up with energy developments →

Solar and wind farms will trial providing their own short-term generation forecasts, under a funding initiative by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in partnership with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO). On behalf of the Australian government, ARENA has awarded $9.41 million to 11 projects to trial short-term forecasting at large-scale wind and solar … Continue reading ARENA funds project for short-term wind and solar farm generation forecasting →

The Western Australian government has launched its new Energy Transformation Strategy, which is to provide a pathway for the state’s response to the changing energy sector. The electricity sector is experiencing a major transformation because of the rapid uptake of rooftop solar panels and battery storage systems, and increasing levels of large-scale renewable generators, such … Continue reading WA government launches new energy strategy →

Energy company Vestas has received a 214 MW order from leading Australian utility Alinta Energy for the Yandin Wind Farm in Western Australia. Once built, the wind park will be the state’s largest renewable power plant, providing affordable renewable energy to more than 200,000 homes. Located approximately 150 km north of Perth, the Yandin Wind … Continue reading Vestas to build and operate WA’s largest wind farm →

Successful commissioning and operation of Australia-based Vast Solar’s 1 MW pilot project is delivering dispatchable renewable power to the grid and driving the company’s next move. The world-leading concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) company is now looking to raise $75m from strategic partners to build its business and help finance its first utility scale power … Continue reading Renewable energy technology developer seeks finance for commercial project →

Scientists at the Australian National University (ANU) have made new breakthroughs that could help further revolutionise solar technology and make it more efficient and more accessible. The researchers have been concentrating on the solar cell’s skin layer, which is 1,000 times thinner than a human hair, and is used to conduct electricity and protect the … Continue reading ANU research at the forefront of solar technology →

The $175 million Susan River Solar Farm on Queensland’s Fraser Coast officially opened this week, adding a further 95MW of solar power to the state’s energy supply. Queensland’s assistant minister for treasury Glenn Butcher represented the state government at an on-site ceremony near Maryborough today, after the North Queensland floods saw the premier and all … Continue reading New solar farm powers up in Queensland →

The University of NSW Sydney has signed a $3 million deal with renewables asset manager Providence Asset Group (PAG) as part of a 10-year commitment to joint research and collaboration in sustainable energy technologies. PAG has made an initial investment of $500,000 to support renewables technology research at UNSW through the UNSW Digital Grid Futures Institute … Continue reading UNSW to collaborate on renewable energy research →

The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) will provide $500,000 in funding to Climate-KIC Australia to lead a three-year longitudinal study into the benefits of geothermal energy in the residential sector and greenfield estates. The $1.7 million project will study a commercial-scale demonstration of renewable ground-source heat pumps being deployed in the Fairwater master-planned residential community … Continue reading Geothermal energy being trialled in Western Sydney →

Business energy retailer Flow Power has entered into a ten-year offtake agreement with renewable energy developer BayWa r.e. to purchase 48 megawatts (MW) from two of northern Victoria’s largest solar farms. The 112MW Karadoc solar farm and 106MW Yatpool solar farm, which are owned and developed by BayWa r.e, will provide 20MW and 28MW respectively … Continue reading Flow Power enters agreement with owner of northern Victoria’s largest solar farms →

A new grid-scale battery is now up and running at the Dalrymple substation on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula. Construction of the 30 MW / 8 MWh grid-scale battery was completed in April 2018. The $30 million Energy Storage for Commercial Renewable Integration (ESCRI) project has been commissioned and tested and is now live and connected … Continue reading New grid-scale battery powering South Australia →