From pv magazine Australia

REC said the Alpha Pure-RX series, which is based on the company’s heterojunction solar cell technology (HJT), is the highest power class residential solar panel that it has yet produced with a power density of 226 W/m2.

The Alpha Pure-RX is available in three versions, with power ratings ranging from 450 W to 470 W, and efficiencies of 21.6% to 22.6%. The modules are made with 80 heterojunction, half-cut monocrystalline solar cells and have a maximum system voltage of 1,000 V.

The modules have open-circuit voltages ranging between 65.1 V and 65.6 V, short-circuit currents ranging from 8.81 A to 8.95 A, can operate within a temperature range of -40 C to 85 C, and have a power temperature coefficient of -0.24% per degree Celsius.

All three panels in the series measure 1,728 mm × 1,205 mm × 30 mm and weigh 23.2 kg. They feature a 3.2 mm solar glass with anti-reflective treatment, a black polymer backsheet, an anodized aluminium frame, and an IP68-rated junction box.

REC said the four-part junction box design makes the module a good performer in shady conditions and it is also designed to withstand weather extremes – including Australia’s hot climate.

“These panels perform better under low light and hot days offering higher power generation with a guaranteed power output of at least 92% at year 25,” the company said.

REC said the Alpha Pure-RX series will be showcased at the All-Energy conference in Melbourne next week when the manufacturer will also unveil its Alpha Pro M panel, a HJT solar panel targeted at commercial and industrial projects.

Gus Paviani, REC’s head of Asia Pacific and Japan, said the Alpha Pro M is the highest power class solar panel available in the market with a power output of up to 640 Wp and efficiencies of 21.8% to 22.9%.

“The REC Alpha family delivers top-quality, high-performance solar panels for homeowners, businesses and now for commercial and industrial project markets,” he said.

The manufacturer said the Alpha Pure-R panels are available to order now with the Alpha Pure-RX and Alpha Pro M panels expected to be available in Australia and New Zealand in the first quarter of 2024.

From pv magazine Australia

A team of researchers from Monash University’s Faculty of Engineering have developed a new lithium-sulphur (Li-S) battery design featuring a nanoporous polymer-coated lithium foil anode that “significantly” improves the number of times the battery can be cycled.

Lead researcher Declan McNamara said when compared with similar coated lithium anode systems, the polymer coating cell has exhibited outstanding performance across a range of metrics.

“This coating is a step towards highly efficient, easily manufactured Li-S batteries,” he said.

Li-S battery technology continues to prove popular among researchers and commercial developers, with the potential for the metallic lithium and sulphur combination to deliver more energy per gram than lithium-ion batteries.

The technology does however have its limitations. Typically, Li-S batteries contain a lithium anode (negative electrode) and sulphur cathode (positive electrode) with a separating layer. When the battery charges and discharges, the lithium and sulphur react which leads to the formation of polysulfides, rapidly reducing the battery performance.

“Metallic lithium is a bit of a double-edged sword,” McNamara said. “Lithium is packed full of energy, but in a bad battery, this energy is wasted on side reactions. On the other hand, if the energy is channelled correctly, it can make some incredible energy storage devices that are easier to make.”

In this new battery configuration, the researchers at Monash have coated a lithium foil anode with a nanoporous polymer which they say allows the lithium ions to move through while protecting the anode from corrosive sulphur compounds.

“The polymer contains tiny holes less than a nanometre in size, one billionth of a metre, which allow lithium ions to move freely while blocking other chemicals that would attack the lithium,” McNamara said. “The coating also acts as a scaffold for lithium, and helps it charge and discharge repeatedly.”

In their paper, the researchers said that the polymer coated anode had exhibited improved capacity retention over 275 cycles, adding that the new design reduces the amount of lithium required in a single battery and does not require nickel or cobalt, removing the need for minerals that have a significant environmental and social cost.

Mainak Majumder, from Monash’s Faculty of Engineering, said these developments are promising steps toward more widespread adoption of Li-S batteries and other lithium metal-based energy storage systems.

“The study establishes a new framework to protect Li-metal from rapid decay or catastrophic failure which has been an Achilles heel for Li-S batteries,” he said.

From pv magazine Australia

CleanCo, a Queensland government-owned energy company, wants to add 3 GW of clean energy capacity to support the Australian state’s renewable energy targets, which aim for 50% by 2030, rising to 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

CleanCo Chief Executive Officer Tom Metcalfe said the 3 GW total includes project development acquisitions, joint venture investments, and offtake agreements.

“We’re looking for renewable energy and firming projects that will help us reach our 2030 goals and contribute to Queensland’s clean energy future,” he said.

Submissions for the 3 GW close on Nov. 17.

The Queensland government’s renewable energy targets call for an additional 22 GW of new wind and solar projects by 2035, supported by at least 12 GW of storage, firming and dispatchable technologies including grid-scale batteries and pumped hydro storage.

In June, the state government announced it would spend AUD 500 million ($316.4 million) through CleanCo “to propel the development of large-scale solar and wind projects” in central Queensland.

In September, CleanCo released an expression of interest seeking up to 400 MW of renewable generation and storage projects to support the development of its Swanbank Clean Energy Hub near Ipswich, Queensland.

CleanCo has also been given funding to install a 250 MW/500 MWh big battery at the Swanbank energy precinct.

From pv magazine Australia

Boundary Power, a union between West Australian regional utility Horizon Power and Victoria-based electric engineering company Ampcontrol, has officially launched a standalone power system (SAPS) that uses solar power and a renewable hydrogen hydride battery to store and generate electricity when required.

Adam Champion, business development manager for renewables at Ampcontrol, said while the Hydrogen Integrated Stand-Alone Power System (HiSAP), is not yet commercially available, it has been created to explore technical factors across design, integration and operation.

“We will be using these learnings as input into our future renewable energy products,” he said.

The first of the HiSAPS, developed in conjunction with Sydney-based hydrogen energy storage system specialist Lavo and Melbourne-headquartered inverter manufacturer Selectronic Australia, has been installed at Ampcontrol’s LED manufacturing facility at Ringwood in Victoria.

Boundary Power General Manager Simon Duggan said the system uses the company’s Solar Qube, an integrated, foldout, solar-battery-generator combination. However, the traditional diesel generator has been swapped out for a self-contained hydrogen power system developed by Lavo.

“Through the collaboration with Lavo and Selectronic we’ve been able to come up with a uniquely designed solution that paves the way for what we can do in the future with standalone powers systems and renewable energy generation,” he said. “It allows us to demonstrate the capabilities of this Solar Qube unit being powered by a hydrogen electrolyser and storage system rather than using your traditional diesel generator. This is a really, really, really exciting time.”

The demonstration unit includes two systems. The standalone SAPS comprises a 4 kWp rack-mounted solar array, a 16 kWh battery energy storage system and a 7.5 kW inverter. This is coupled with a 20 kWh metal hydride hydrogen energy storage system (HESS) with an additional 6 kWp solar array (part of a rooftop array at the Ringwood facility) and 5 kWh of battery storage. The HESS also incorporates its own 2.3 kW electrolyser and 3 kW fuel cell to ensure all hydrogen used is renewably created on site.

“One of the unique things about the HiSAPS unit compared to standard stand-alone power systems is that it generates its own fuel internally,” Ampcontrol Research Engineer Thomas Steigler said. “It’s generating hydrogen and storing that within the unit.”

The entire system, including communications equipment for integration into metering and reporting systems, is contained within a weatherproof enclosure.

The newly unveiled demonstration unit will supply solar power to Ampcontrol’s Ringwood facility during daylight hours to meet daytime energy demand. Excess energy will be used to charge the battery energy storage system (BESS) and then the HESS. The BESS will be discharged to meet the power demand at night and during peak periods. The HESS will meet energy demand gaps where solar and BESS energy are not available.

The project was partly funded by the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) Victoria as part of the state government’s Renewable Hydrogen Commercialisation Pathways Fund.

Duggan said the project has offered an insight into the technology required to build hydrogen systems to store and provide electricity and the demonstration plant will provide crucial insight into the technical, regulatory and safety aspects of integrating hydrogen systems into a standalone power system.

“The funding allowed us to collaborate with experts in the field to design an innovative solution to demonstrate real-world application, paving the way for future commercialisation of HiSAPS,” he said.

From pv magazine Australia

Queensland Hydro said geotechnical exploratory drilling which will help inform the environmental impact statement (EIS) process has started at the site of the Borumba Dam pumped hydro project. The AUD 14.2 billion ($8.96 billion) project is expected to provide 2 GW of dispatchable generating capacity and approximately 48,000 MWh of large-scale storage to the National Electricity Market.

State-owned Queensland Hydro also said the state’s coordinator-general has declared the project, being developed at the 46,000 megaliter Borumba Dam near Gympie, a coordinated project, enabling an assessment of social, economic and environmental matters to begin.

The project involves building a new dam wall at Lake Borumba that will increase the dam’s storage capacity to 224,000 megaliters. A new dam will also be created at a higher altitude with the two reservoirs connected by an underground power station. Water will be pumped to the upper dam during periods of surplus renewable energy and low demand, and then released back to generate electricity during times of high demand.

Pending successful planning and environmental approvals, the project is targeting first power in 2030.

Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said the project, the first of two large-scale long-duration energy storage projects planned by the Queensland government, will play a key role in the state’s renewable energy transition.

“Pumped hydro is proven technology, ready to go now,” he said. “Borumba will allow us to replace expensive fossil fuels with Queensland’s sun, wind, and water, putting the Sunshine State on the map as a global renewable energy hub.”

The Queensland government is aiming to have 70% renewable energy by 2032 and 80% by 2035, up from about 25% of total power generation at present.

De Brenni said the Borumba project will be subject to Queensland procurement policy with the state government looking for Sunshine Coast companies and tradespeople to be part of the build. At peak construction, the project is expected to deliver an estimated 2,300 jobs.

From pv magazine Australia

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) says all households with solar storage systems need to urgently check whether they have recalled LG-branded batteries, as they should switch off all affected batteries immediately.

“When these batteries malfunction there is a serious risk of injury or death due to the affected batteries overheating and causing a fire,” the ACCC said.

LG first issued a recall in February 2021 for 7,200 affected batteries that were installed in LG, SolaX and Opal home energy storage systems. The scope of the recall has been expanded over time. The manufacturer now urges all consumers with affected LG batteries in their solar energy storage systems – including LG-branded RESU systems, SolaX Power Station, SolaX X-Cabinet, Opal Storage, Redback SH5000, Red Earth Sunrise, Red Earth Drop Bear, Eguana Evolve, and VARTA Pulse Neo – to promptly power down their energy storage systems and keep them off until they are repaired or replaced.

“It is critically important that anyone with a solar energy storage system checks their battery’s serial number, as this recall has been updated to include new models, affected systems and dates of manufacture,” said ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe. “Even if you don’t have an LG-branded solar storage system, you may still have an LG-branded battery that has been recalled. For peace of mind, check your system again and turn off your battery straight away if it has been recalled.”

The warning for Australian battery owners comes amid reports of a spate of battery fires in Europe that have been linked to LG-branded batteries. Australian consumers with affected batteries should contact LG or SolaX to arrange remediation of their batteries.

From pv magazine Australia

The Riverina and Darlington Point Energy Storage System (Riverina battery system), built by Edifiy Energy and Federation Asset Management, comprises three independent but co-located units which are contracted to Shell Energy and EnergyAustralia for 10 years.

The project, built adjacent to the 275 MW Darlington Point Solar Farm in the state’s Riverina region, comprises the 60 MW/120 MWh Riverina 1, the 65 MW/130 MWh Riverina 2 and the 25 MW/50 MWh Darlington Point battery energy storage systems. The battery system’s output is sufficient to supply 240,000 homes with two hours of electricity at peak times.

Edify Chief Executive John Cole said the grid-forming battery system “elevates the playing field” with the firming technology helping to iron out the variable output of wind and solar.

“The potential for battery storage technology is immense,” he said. “It is a key part of the clean energy transition and goes hand in glove with harnessing and firming Australia’s abundant renewable resources.”

The Riverina battery system utilises Tesla Megapacks fitted with grid-forming inverters, operating in a ‘virtual synchronous generator’ mode. This allows the storage system to function in a manner similar to a traditional generator, providing crucial system strength services to help facilitate the connection of future clean energy power plants in the region.

“Advanced power electronics technology is key to addressing our energy challenges,” Cole said.

Edify designed and developed the battery but in June sold a 90% stake in the project to Federation Asset Management.

Stephen Panizza, co-founder and head of renewable energy at the Sydney-based private equity firm said the need for large-scale energy storage is becoming increasingly important as the nation’s aging coal plants retire.

“Advanced grid-forming batteries like the Riverina BESS are critical to extracting the maximum capacity from our existing grid infrastructure, allowing timely integration of additional wind and solar generation into the NEM while our grid infrastructure is upgraded,” he said.

The Riverina battery system is the largest battery energy storage system yet connected to the National Electricity Market in NSW, having overtaken the 50 MW/75 MWh Wallgrove Grid Battery in western Sydney.

Both batteries are however set to be relegated with a plethora of mega-scale batteries planned for NSW.

Origin Energy has commenced construction of the first stage of a planned 700 MW/2,800 MWh battery at its coal-fired power plant site at Eraring in the NSW Hunter region. Stage one of the Eraring battery involves the construction of a 460 MW battery storage system with a dispatch duration of two hours. French energy giant Neoen has announced plans to build a 500 MW/1,000 MWh big battery at the site of the former Wallerawang coal power station site in the Central Tablelands region. Shell Energy is also seeking to develop a 500 MW/1,000 MWh battery at that site while electricity gen-tailer EnergyAustralia is planning to build a 500 MW/2,000 MWh battery energy storage system adjacent to its Mount Piper coal-fired power station in the state’s central west.

These batteries will however all be overshadowed by the proposed Waratah Super Battery Project that is being built by BlackRock battery offshoot Akaysha Energy on the state’s Central Coast.

The 850 MW/1,680 MWh battery, being installed at the site of the decommissioned Munmorah coal-fired power station near Doyalson north of Sydney, will be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere and one of the biggest in the world.

Construction of the WSB began in May and is targeted for completion before August 2025.

From pv magazine Australia

EnergyAustralia has confirmed that it has secured approval from the New South Wales state government to conduct vital site surveys for the detailed design of the proposed Mt Piper Battery Energy Storage System, which is being developed near the town of Lithgow.

The battery, which will have up to 500 MW of capacity and a duration of up to four hours of dispatchable energy, will be built near EnergyAustralia’s 1.4 GW coal-fired Mt Piper power station, which is set to close in 2040 at the latest.

EnergyAustralia said the battery, first announced late last year, will use the existing electricity and transmission infrastructure and will help to improve diversity and reliability of the electricity network as coal generation retires and more renewables enter the system.

“Energy storage projects, such as this one, are an important part of the national transition to a more secure and reliable energy future,” the company said. “It will store excess energy generated by renewables and release it to customers when needed, providing critical firming support to the [New South Wales] energy market.”

While the Mt Piper project is in the early stages of assessment and planning, EnergyAustralia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based energy company CLP Group, has previously said if approved, the battery could be operational by the end of 2026.

If the Mt Piper battery project proceeds it will be the second EnergyAustralia-owned battery energy storage system under development.

EnergyAustralia has committed to building a four-hour utility-scale battery of 350 MW capacity on the site of its gas-fired Jeeralang power station at Hazelwood North in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

The Wooreen Energy Storage System is scheduled to be commissioned by the end of 2026, ahead of Yallourn’s planned closure in mid-2028.

From pv magazine Australia

Hydrostor – a Canadian company with patented advanced compressed air energy storage technology (A-CAES) designed to provide long-duration energy storage – has signed a binding agreement with Perilya to leverage existing assets at the Potosi mine site near Broken Hill, New South Wales, to support the construction of the Silver City Energy Storage Project.

The estimated AUD 652 million ($415 million) Silver City project, which will store excess solar and wind power in a re-purposed underground mine shaft at the Broken Hill site, will be able to deliver 200 MW of electricity for a duration of eight hours.

In a joint statement, the companies said reserve capacity of 250 MWh will be set aside to provide back-up power during network outages.

“Silver City will operate as a large energy storage asset, connected to the NSW grid and able to trade large quantities of energy on a daily basis,” they said. “It will also act as an emission-free long-term grid reliability solution for Broken Hill and the wider region, supporting existing and new renewable energy generation, and serving communities and mining loads in the most cost-effective manner.”

Martin Becker, Hydrostor’s vice president of business development and origination in Australia, said that Silver City will be the company’s first operational project in Australia and will serve as a showcase for A-CAES technology.

Hydrostor’s technology features a four-step process for storing and dispatching energy. It draws off-peak or surplus energy from the grid to produce heated compressed air. During charging, heat from the compressed air is collected and stored before the cooled air displaces water out of an underground cavern up to a water reservoir on the surface. To discharge, water flows back into the cavern forcing air to the surface under pressure where it is heated with the stored thermal energy and drives a turbine to generate electricity.

The company said its technology has similar applications and benefits to pumped hydro energy storage but requires only one-20th of the volume of water that conventional pumped hydro needs per MWh of energy storage and has the added benefits of being flexible with location and topography.

“This patented technology allows grid operators to draw on clean energy, even when there is no sun to fuel solar panels and no wind to generate energy from turbines,” Hydrostor said.

While no dates have been provided for the delivery of the Silver City project, Paul Rasmussen, Hydrostor’s Vice President of Integration, said the agreement with Perilya will allow the company to accelerate the development of the facility.

“By leveraging the existing mine investment and infrastructure, this partnership enables us to improve project delivery timeframe, since we can build the underground air storage cavern much faster, with reduced set-up costs and a better understanding of the geology at site,” he said.

The agreement with Perilya includes access to property transactions and existing mine infrastructure, provision of construction support services, and supports the continued and longer-term operation of the Potosi mine during and after the project is being constructed.

The Silver City project has received development funding from the NSW government under the Emerging Energy Opportunities Program and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has conditionally approved $45 million in funding to help finance the project.

ARENA’s funding for the Silver City Project is conditional upon the project reaching financial close, which is expected to occur in late 2023.

From pv magazine Australia

ClearVue said it has shown that its second-generation power-generating solar windows can be mass produced on unmodified manufacturing lines, avoiding the need for glass manufacturers to make costly and time-consuming changes to its industry-standard facilities.

The Perth-based company said its licensed manufacturer in China had conducted a commercial production run on a standard manufacturing line with continuous production of 80 integrated glazing units (IGUs). Adding ClearVue’s components to produce a fully assembled and sealed IGU increased the production cycle time by only five minutes.

ClearVue Chief Executive Offer Martin Deil said the production run was a “very important milestone,” proving that the company’s second-generation IGUs can be mass produced by glazing manufacturers globally without the need for production line change.

“We now have proven ability to scale our innovative smart building solutions,” he said. “Our ability to mass produce the second-generation IGUs confirms the commercial viability of our product for both large commercial and small-scale bespoke products.”

Deil said eliminating the need for production line changes will allow manufacturers to lower their costs and increase their production outputs and manufacturing plant capability, “leading to lower cost products for end-customers.”

ClearVue has developed specialized glass technologies that preserve glass transparency while generating electricity. The IGUs feature PV cells around the edges of each unit. The units incorporate a nanoparticle interlayer and spectral-selective coating on the rear external surface which allow much of the light to pass through but redirects infrared and UV light to the edge of the IGU where it is harvested by solar cells.

The company said its second-generation IGUs deliver enhanced efficiency – averaging about 100 w peak per square metre over an entire facade – and a lower average cost per watt. The new design also provides reductions in the thickness and weight of the units while new electrical connection elements simplify the assembly and fabrication process.

ClearVue said production of the second-generation IGUs was initially tested at a smaller factory in Singapore with the company saying the time required to fabricate and assemble them was about 90% less than its original IGUs.

Deil said he expects the latest commercial-scale production run will assist ClearVue as it looks to expand its manufacturing capabilities, adding the company is currently in discussions with “multiple manufacturing license partners around the world.”

From pv magazine Australia

Neoen aims to have 10 GW of large-scale solar and wind and battery energy storage capacity in Australia by the end of the decade, as part of a multibillion dollar forward investment plan.

The Paris-headquartered renewables giant revealed the target after announcing that its portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects has reached 3.3 GW of capacity in operation or under construction in Australia, cementing its position as the country’s biggest renewable energy developer.

Neoen has in the past decade invested more than AUD 4 billion ($2.59 billion) in Australian projects but Neoen Australia Managing Director Louis de Sambucy said the company is now planning a multibillion dollar spend as it looks increase its portfolio to 10 GW of renewables capacity by 2030.

De Sambucy said the company’s ambition is to have highly competitive solar, wind and storage assets in every state, and to leverage this multi-technology portfolio to design the solutions of the future for the grid and for energy customers.

“We are strongly committed to continuing to play a decisive role in Australia’s clean energy future,” he said, noting that the company already has an extensive development pipeline in place.

Neoen’s portfolio of 20 assets in operation or under construction consists of 2 GW of generation capacity evenly split between solar and wind and 1.3 GW/2.8 GWh of battery energy storage. This accounts for approximately 45% of Australia’s grid-scale battery storage and 10% of both the country’s utility-scale solar and wind capacity.

The company’s Australian projects include the world’s first big battery – the now 150 MW/193.5 MWh Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia – and the 300 MW/450 MWh Victorian Big Battery, which is currently Australia’s largest battery.

Its PV projects include the recently commissioned 400 MW Western Downs Solar Farm in Queensland. Developed on a 1,500-hectare site near Chinchilla, Queensland, the project will also include a 270 MW/540 MWh battery energy storage system.

Neoen said being an owner and operator is a central feature of the company’s approach, allowing it to invest in internal capabilities across the project lifecycle, including its operational control centre in Canberra which monitors the portfolio and manages its market trading.

Neoen Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Xavier Barbaro said the Australian market has helped to inform the company’s global operations.

“It is a model and an inspiration for us internationally, and it is a source of much of our innovation,” he said. “Neoen is a key player in Australia and Australia is Neoen’s number one country.”

From pv magazine Australia

RayGen has officially launched its first commercial concentrated PV and thermal storage project, following the successful commissioning of a 4 MW solar plant backed by 2.8 MW/50 MWh of long-duration storage at Carwarp, northwestern Victoria.

RayGen said the plant has been “exporting electricity day and night and has been charging our storage from our solar and from the grid … All component systems have demonstrated performance against specification.”

The company said an offtake agreement with energy retailing giant AGL for the entirety of the plant’s production will soon go into effect.

The Carwarp plant uses a combination of RayGen’s solar and hydro technology to produce 24-hour renewable electricity. The system features a field of smart, rotational mirrors that concentrate sunlight onto a tower-mounted receiver containing an array of PV modules. That solar energy is combined with the energy stored across two water reservoirs to create a ‘hot and cold’ solar hydro solution.

Melbourne-based RayGen said the Carwarp plant will add 4 MW of renewable power and 17 hours of storage capacity to the West Murray grid. The plant is expected to provide enough renewable electricity to power approximately 1,700 average Victorian homes.

RayGen Chief Executive Officer Richard Payne said the successful commissioning of the Carwarp plant is a significant milestone in the commercialisation of the company’s energy generation and storage technologies.

“This project has validated the performance of our modular system at utility scale,” he said. “In just four years, we have progressed from a concept for dispatchable renewable energy to a utility-scale reality.”

Payne said the project has provided valuable, real-world “lessons learned,” which have been incorporated into the development of much larger projects.

“Successfully delivering this project is simply an outstanding result and provides a launching pad to deploy much larger projects,” he said.

Markus Brokhof, chief operating officer at AGL, said the technology provides a possible solution to the challenge of long-duration energy storage particularly given its potential to be scaled.

“This innovative approach to long-duration energy storage using concentrated PV and thermal hydro storage greatly improves the efficiency and economics of solar plus storage, providing a potential solution for long duration energy storage,” he said. “The technology has the potential to be deployed at greater scale.”

The official launch of the Carwarp plant coincided with an announcement from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) confirming that it will provide an additional AUD 10 million ($6.5 million) in grant funding to accelerate the development of RayGen’s technology.

Payne said the new funding agreement will allow RayGen to “industrialise our supply chain, progress engineering for larger projects, and accelerate down the cost-curve … Our pipeline is part of the energy transition of this country. RayGen’s new approach complements other established solutions and offers the lowest cost pathway to a zero-carbon grid.”

As well as working with AGL to develop a plant at Liddell, RayGen is also working with Dutch company Photon Energy on a major project in South Australia. The proposed Yadnarie project would have a total solar generation capacity of 200 MWdc coupled with 24 hours of energy storage capacity.

From pv magazine Australia

AEMO says “imminent and urgent investment” is required to improve the reliability of Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM), with a new report warning of potential supply shortfalls in the national power grid over the next decade.

The latest “Electricity Statement of Opportunities” (ESOO) report – which projects the market demand and supply over the coming decade for the eastern mainland states and Tasmania – flags supply concerns, heightened risks from coal outages and the need to incentivise continued supply in the NEM.

AEMO Chief Executive Officer Daniel Westerman said the report “highlights the pace of Australia’s energy transition and the urgency needed to deliver new investment to ensure reliable, affordable and cleaner energy for consumers … Over the 10-year outlook, we continue to forecast reliability gaps, which are mostly due to the expectation that 62% of today’s coal fleet will retire by 2033. To ensure Australian consumers continue to have access to reliable electricity supplies, it’s critical that planned investments in transmission, generation and storage projects are urgently delivered.”

The ESOO forecasts that electricity consumption and peak demand will grow in the next decade due to population growth and the electrification across all sectors of the economy, including transport and residential sectors, and the electrification of traditional gas loads.

Considering only existing, committed and anticipated projects as per the ESOO’s “central scenario,” reliability risks are forecast to exceed the “relevant reliability standard” in Victoria from this summer, in South Australia this summer and then again from 2028-29, in New South Wales from 2025-26, and Queensland from 2029-30.

The reliability gaps are larger than were forecast in the February ESOO update but AEMO said government programs and a pipeline of proposed generation and storage projects – totaling 173 GW of renewable energy generation and 74 GW of storage – have the potential to address the identified risks.

“These forecasts highlight the high value of solutions in which resources owned by consumers, such as residential electricity generation and storage devices, and increased demand flexibility, can help meet power system needs,” AEMO said. “With a high level of consumer participation and coordination of consumer energy assets and demand to help meet power system needs, the need for utility-scale solutions would be much lower.”

Australian Energy Council (AEC) Chief Executive Officer Sarah McNamara said she expects the new report will act as a spur to the private sector to invest in new generation.

“It also reinforces the need for careful coordination and prioritisation of the necessary generation, firming capacity and transmission,” she said, noting that the electricity industry is well positioned to meet the challenges outlined in the report. “There is still time to meet these challenges and realize these opportunities if the market is permitted to provide the price signals necessary to bring forward investment. Even if new investment were not forthcoming, it’s worth noting that most of the near-term reliability shortfalls relate only to the ‘interim’ reliability standard, which is a very conservative measure, and not the traditional reliability standard.”

Image: AEMO

From pv magazine Australia

Shipbuilder Incat Tasmania has commenced construction of a lightweight aluminum ferry that it said will be the largest 100% battery-electric vessel yet built. The 40 MWh battery energy storage system is expected to be the largest installed on a ship – four times bigger than the current largest installation.

The catamaran, designed to carry both passengers and freight, is being built for South American customer Buquebus and will operate between Argentina and Uruguay. The vessel will be capable of carrying up to 2,100 passengers and 225 cars at up to 25 knots.

Incat Managing Director Craig Clifford said the vessel will be driven by two electric drives mounted in pods beneath the hull with the batteries to power a series of electric motors that will drive “an extremely efficient, completely integrated” propulsion and water jet package.

“This ship will have leading edge technology in terms of zero emissions propulsion and storage systems,” he said. “Once in operation the shore-side charging systems will have 50% more capacity than any current installation world-wide.”

Wartsila has been nominated to provide the electric propulsion and waterjet system that will power the vessel. The Finnish company will also provide the energy management, power conversion and DC shore-charging systems for the project.

Wartsila has selected Norwegian maritime energy storage systems specialist Corvus Energy to supply the battery systems.

Corvus Commercial Director Europe Halvard Hauso said with more than 40 MWh of energy storage, the battery modules and energy storage system package is four times larger than on any electric or hybrid ship currently operating.

“This vessel will be the largest of its type with the highest ESS capacity and it will also have the longest zero-emission journey, at the highest speed, and it will be charged with the world’s highest capacity chargers,” he said.

The battery systems are scheduled for delivery in the latter part of 2024 with the vessel to be delivered in 2025.

Clifford said the build has attracted global attention and that the interest is expected to magnify as the maritime industry’s decarbonization journey gathers momentum.

“The feedback from overseas has been extraordinarily positive,” he said. “I expect that we are going to see many more battery electric ships built.”

Incat said it has already started working toward the construction of a second but smaller battery-electric vehicle and passenger ferry.

From pv magazine Australia

The CSIRO and Sydney-headquartered RFC Ambrian have co-founded Hadean Energy to advance the development of the CSIRO’s tubular solid oxide electrolysis (SOE) technology. It said the tech could significantly reduce hydrogen production costs and help to decarbonize heavy industry.

The International Energy Agency estimates that demand for hydrogen will increase 138% by 2030, but high production costs and energy inputs are key challenges for producing green hydrogen.

The CSIRO said its SOE technology, which relies on ceramic tubes with electrodes on the inside and out, produces hydrogen by electrolysing water using a combination of heat and electricity. The agency said SOE requires less than 42 kWh of electricity to produce a kilogram of hydrogen while alkaline and polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) alternatives require about 60 kWh/kg of hydrogen.

Sarb Giddey, lead scientist on hydrogen research at CSIRO, said the technology has the potential to produce hydrogen at a higher efficiency and lower cost, allowing industry to dramatically reduce emissions.

“It allows industrial waste heat to be integrated back into the industrial processes, which decreases the electrical energy required to produce hydrogen or syn-gas by up to 30%,” he said. “It’s great news for industry, because integrating the hydrogen product back into industrial processes onsite also eliminates storage and transport costs while drastically reducing the use of fossil fuels in the industrial process.”

CSIRO said it will now establish a pilot scale demonstration plant at BlueScope’s Port Kembla Steelworks on the New South Wales south coast to trial the technology in an industrial environment.

RFC Ambrian Chief Investment Officer Stefan Skorut said the technology is well placed to address the existing industrial hydrogen market which is currently almost 100% derived from fossil fuels.

“While SOE is the most efficient method of electrolysis, green hydrogen and synthetic fuels will remain uneconomic unless we address the scalability and cost of electrolysers,” he said. “CSIRO’s tubular SOE technology represents a step change improvement across these metrics.”

The trial with BlueScope will commence in April 2024. The CSIRO said findings from the trial will help to demonstrate the technology at a higher scale and confirm the technical robustness of the equipment. Hadean Energy will have exclusive rights over the SOE technology.

From pv magazine Australia

The Australian arm of China-based Chelion Renewables Group has confirmed that the integrated components of its Matrix CAIO battery cabinet have been granted Clean Energy Council (CEC) approval for sale in Australia.

The Matrix CAIO, according to the company, has a 95% roundtrip efficiency and a flexible, modular design that allows customers to choose between a number of customisable options such as power conversion system (PCS) size, solar connectivity and backup for all ongrid or offgrid scenarios.

Chelion said the modular rack system can accommodate 90 kW of bi-directional AC-DC inverter capacity, or up to 120 kW of DC-DC PV inversion, or a combination of PCS, PV, and static transfer switch for a “truly hybrid system.”

“The CAIO can also be strung in parallel, with an external power conversion system for customers requiring up to 452 kWh of storage,” the company said.

The Matrix CAIO features an intelligent energy management system, fireproofing and HVAC temperature regulation. The IP65-rated cabinet measures 1,450 mm x 2,000 mm x 1,100 mm and weighs in at 700 kg. It has been designed for easy deployment on an external slab to reduce installation costs.

Chelion said the CAIO offers scalability for various applications including peak shaving and load shifting for large commercial businesses, support for microgrids and community battery applications, contingency frequency control services, and supplying backup power.

Chelion Australia Chief Executive Officer Craig Nalder said the CAIO enables businesses and communities to embrace renewable energy sources, effectively reducing their operational expenses.

“These systems enable business owners to store excess solar energy during the day for use during peak hours or during power outages, ensuring emergency power supply and reduced reliance on the grid,” he said.

Chelion said the first Australian installations of the Matrix CAIO have already commenced in New South Wales.

From pv magazine Australia

AGL has turned on the second-largest operational battery in Australia at Torrens Island, just north of Adelaide. The 250 MW big battery is expected to play a critical role in transforming and supporting the reliability of renewables in South Australia.

AGL Chief Operating Officer Markus Brokhof said the battery, eclipsed only by French renewables developer Neoen’s 300 MW/450 MWh Victoria Big Battery, will provide additional firming capacity and flexibility for the grid.

“South Australia has the largest penetration of rooftop solar in Australia,” he said, noting that more than 70% of the state’s electricity is supplied by renewables. “This battery will respond to the requirements of the SA grid in milliseconds providing additional capacity and frequency control services when the system requires it.”

Sized at one hour storage but with the potential to extend the duration to four hours (1,000 MWh) in the future, the battery will initially operate in grid-following mode before transitioning to grid-forming mode (virtual synchronous generation).

“The technology which makes up this battery is remarkable,” Brokhof said.

AGL Chief Executive Officer Damien Nicks said the Torrens Island project forms part of the company’s broader ambition to have up to 5 GW of new renewables and firming in place by the end of the decade.

“This is a significant milestone in AGL’s transition journey as we continue to accelerate the build out of up to 12 GW of renewable and firming capacity by 2035,” he said.

“On this very site in the past four years, we have announced the closure of a thermal power station, built a flexible peaking plant and commissioned the second-largest battery in Australia. This is the energy transition in action. This battery is the second largest battery in Australia. It will provide enough electricity to power approximately 75,000 South Australian homes for one hour.”

Among the company’s other energy storage projects is a 50 MW/100 MWh battery under construction at Broken Hill in New South Wales, and a 500 MW/2 GWh battery planned for the Liddell power station site.

It is also planning a 500 MW battery with four hours of dispatchable capacity next to the Tomago aluminum smelter near Newcastle, and a 200 MW/800 MWh battery to be built at the Loy Yang A power station site in Victoria.

From pv magazine Australia

Sydney-listed Energy One has been targeted in a cyberattack, with the company confirming that “certain corporate systems in Australia and the United Kingdom” were affected.

Energy One, which specializes in energy trading software, said in a statement that it “took immediate steps to limit the impact of the incident,” including disabling “some links between its corporate and customer-facing systems.” It said that it has alerted the Australian Cyber Security Centre and UK authorities of the breach. It noted that “analysis is underway to identify which, if any, additional systems may have been affected by the cyberattack.”

The attack comes after the government-backed Cyber Security Cooperative Research Centre (CSCRC) raised concerns that Australia’s use of foreign-made solar panel technology, notably inverters, has made the country susceptible to targeted cyberattacks that could undermine the stability of power grids. In a new report, the CSCRC said that the cyber risks associated with solar inverters has increased as the popularity of smart home energy systems has boomed, with most inverters now web connected for monitoring and control purposes.

The CSCRC said that as the number of homes with solar systems continues to increase, the risk associated with inverters continues to grow with the devices vulnerable to a range of cyber intrusions including “hacking, malware attacks, manipulation and disruption.”

“As internet-connected devices they collect and distribute valuable data and are attractive targets for malicious cyber actors,” the research body said. “In the case of photovoltaic inverters, which play an increasingly vital role in Australia’s power supply, the potential ramifications could be catastrophic.”

While individual attacks wouldn’t affect the grid more broadly, CSCRC Research Director Helge Janicke said a widespread attack could destabilize an entire power grid, leading to widespread blackouts.

“Conceivably such attacks could be so severe that they result in a ‘black start’ event, an effective restarting of a power grid,” she said. “It could take a week to recover from a black start because power plants would be incapable of turning back without reliance on an auxiliary power source.”

The CSCRC has recommended a raft of policy solutions, saying Australia needs to take a more hands-on approach to regulation of cyber security, especially as it relates to the security of critical infrastructure.

The CSCRC said is calling for cyber security impact assessments for all solar inverters sold in Australia and the introduction of mandatory cyber security ratings for solar inverters. It also declared that any inverters assessed as having serious cyber security vulnerabilities should be removed from sale and recalled from use, or appropriate security fixes should be applied if available.

“There is an opportunity to embed cyber security considerations into mandatory standards that solar inverters sold in Australia should be required to meet,” it said.

From pv magazine Australia

In its latest investment update, CEFC committed AUD 1.9 billion in new investments in the 2022-23 financial year, including a record AUD 1.2 billion in renewable energy and grid-related projects.

CEFC Chief Executive Officer Ian Learmonth said the government-funded corporation had worked with investors and project developers to bring forward 14 large-scale solar, wind and storage projects in the 12 months to June 30, 2023, with a total transaction value of AUD 5.7 billion.

“Investment of this scale is critical to our national goal of reaching 82% renewables by 2030,” he said. “We had a strong year last year, but a lot more needs to be done.”

Learmonth estimates that for Australia to achieve its renewables target, about 3.6 GW of large-scale renewable energy needs to be brought online each year.

“It is a big challenge,” he said. “Last year we installed about 2.5 GW of utility-scale wind and solar.”

Learmonth said developers and investors had faced numerous challenges in the past year including inflationary issues, supply chain shortages and grid constraints, noting that the CEFC is using its capital to help “deal with some of these issues and stimulate investment in renewables.”

“This has included responding to market headwinds in capex, interest rates and foreign exchange, with our capital accelerating project delivery and underpinning offtake agreements to aid proponents in navigating challenging market conditions,” he said. “Our finance is also backing larger projects, in terms of capital and generation capacity, a positive signal of investor and developer appetite in the required large-scale investments.”

In the 2022-23 financial year the CEFC committed $1.9 billion to transactions with a total value of AUD 11.7 billion. It also commenced early work on the AUD 19 billion Rewiring the Nation program, which is designed to fast-track upgrades to the national electricity grid to accommodate the influx of renewable energy.

Learmonth said he expects to announce the first Rewiring the Nation investment transactions within the next year.

The $19 billion initiative forms part of an additional $20.5 billion capital allocation approved by the federal government in 2022-23, the first increase since the CEFC was established in 2012.

Since its inception, CEFC has invested AUD 12.7 billion, taking lifetime total transaction value to AUD 48.8 billion. CEFC said its investments in large-scale renewables and transmission-related projects have contributed to transactions with a total value of AUD 18.8 billion. Capital returned to CEFC in 2022-23 was AUD 1.2 billion, taking lifetime repayments and returns to more than $4.5 billion.

From pv magazine Australia

A study, led by researchers from the University of Technology in Sydney, suggests that a ‘biosolar’ rooftop system – one that combines a solar system installed on a roof that is partially or completely covered with vegetation – provides significant improvements in panel efficiency and energy production.

“As solar panels heat up beyond 25℃, their efficiency decreases markedly,” the researchers said. “Green roofs moderate rooftop temperatures so we wanted to find out could green roofs help with the problem of heat reducing the output of solar panels.”

The research team, which also included academics from the University of Canberra and Charles Sturt University, compared a conventional rooftop PV system with a combined solar and integrated green roof system over an eight-month period that spanned summer and winter.

The two buildings used in the study are the same height, size, and shape and are located next to each other in Sydney’s central business district. Both rooftops encompass about 1,860 m2, with about one third covered by solar panels. Vegetation covered about 78% of the green roof and the solar panels covered 40% of this planted area.

Both the green and conventional rooftop systems employed four SolarEdge three-phase inverters rated to operate at 98 % efficiency. The green roof comprised 335 SunPower Maxeon 395 W panels, with a total system size of 132.33 kW. The conventional roof used 346 LG 320 W panels with a peak nominal power of 110.72 kW.

“We measured the impacts on biodiversity and solar output, as well as how the plants coped with having panels installed above them,” the researchers said, noting that the green roof had reduced surface temperatures by up to 9.63 C for the solar panels and 6.93 C for the roof surfaces.

The research team said the reduction in temperature had delivered significant improvements in solar panel efficiency which led to increased solar generation and overall energy production.

“This lowering of temperatures increased the maximum output of the solar panels by 21-107%, depending on the month,” they said. “Performance modeling indicates an extensive green roof in central Sydney can, on average, produce 4.5% more electricity at any given light level.”

The researchers said the benefits of combing solar panels with a living roof extended beyond increased energy production with the vegetation on the biosolar roof flourishing in the areas directly below and surrounding the solar panels.

“This was surprising,” they said. “It was not expected the plants would prefer the shaded areas under the panels to the open areas. This shows that shading by solar panels will not prevent the growth of full and healthy roof gardens.”

The green roof also supported more species of birds and insects than the conventional roof, decreased stormwater runoff, and insulated the building from extremes of temperature.

Another research group led by the Netherlands' KWR Water Research Institute recently investigated how a blue-green roof (BGR) may act as a cooling agent for rooftop PV systems and has found that this kind of roof may lower the roof surface temperature by up to 4.64 C compared to a conventional bitumen roof (BiR).

From pv magazine Australia

Cambridge Energy said the first Australian deployment of its Nomad system – that combines solar tracking technology in a prefabricated and modular design – has now been completed at Norton Gold Fields’ Binduli mining operation near Kalgoorlie in Western Australia’s Eastern Goldfields region.

“We were thrilled to have hosted site visits last week showcasing our newly completed Norton Binduli 2.3 MW Nomad project,” the company said.

“The success of this deployment was a proud achievement for us, and for the renewable energy landscape, demonstrating the huge potential for ultra-low cost solar here in Australia.”

“We now have firm proof of how the Nomad outperforms other technologies in the region and that prefabricated solar tracking will enable the next big leap.”

Cambridge, which delivered the project for Perth-based energy and mining consultancy ResourcesWA and investment firm CrossBoundary, said its Nomad system is the only PV solution in the world that combines prefabrication with solar tracking, setting “a new standard in delivering efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable solar.”

“The technology revolutionizes solar energy by offering the benefits of solar tracking in a unique, prefabricated design,” the company said. “It maximizes energy yield, making solar projects more feasible, cost-effective, and socially responsible.”

Cambridge which was founded by Australian Tom Miller, said the Nomad system features bifacial panels mounted on a single-axis tracking system which allows for maximum energy output, claiming the Nomad generates 45-50% greater yield than other prefabricated solutions.

The system also features an innovative anchoring solution that eliminates the need for piles and concrete. The tracker is anchored to the ground using percussion-driven earth anchors that utilize the soil as a counterweight and are connected to the structure through cables.

“This anchoring method eliminates the need for extensive groundworks, steel piles or concrete, and ensures minimal disruption to the soil during installation and decommissioning,” Cambridge said.

The system has been designed to be stored in a shipping container, and Cambridge said it can be removed and reinstalled as and when required with the modular design reducing inefficiencies in transport and installation, while making for faster deployment than conventional solar, resulting in lower deployment costs.

Trent Colyer, managing director of Perth-based OSOS Global Services which provided the installation team behind the 2.3 MW Binduli project, said the install had gone much quicker than expected.

“We had never installed one of these Cambridge models before, and no one in Australia has either. But they’ve made it very, very simple for us to do it,” he said.

Colyer said the small installation crew had deployed 1 MW per week using regular construction machinery.

From pv magazine Australia

Sydney-based developer Genex Power says that construction of the 250 MW/2 GWh Kidston Pumped Storage Hydro Project in Queensland is progressing at pace, with underground construction work expected to be completed by the end of this year.

The pumped hydro storage facility being developed in the abandoned Kidston gold mine, about 380 kilometers west of Townsville, is part of the AUD 777 million ($500 million) Kidston Clean Energy Hub, which includes an operational 50 MW solar farm and 258 MW of wind power.

The pumped hydro facility will provide up to eight hours of continuous energy for the grid. It is expected to be completed in the second half of 2024, with plans to put it online in 2025.

EnergyAustralia has already entered an off-take agreement with Genex to use the deep storage capacity, most likely at the end and start of each day, when renewable energy output is at its lowest.

Genex says the roof of the powerhouse cavern, located 250 meters below the surface, is now on. Once completed, the cavern will be 80 meters long, 18 meters wide, and 45 meters high. It will house two reversible turbines capable of generating 250 MW of rapid response renewable energy.

“We’re already past the halfway mark,” Genex said, noting that the project “is creating significant work opportunities, boosting the supply chain, and fostering manufacturing prosperity.”

Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said the clean energy hub is contributing to the creation of 900 direct jobs, and will help the Australian state to achieve its renewable energy targets of 70% by 2032 and 80% by 2035.

“Once operational, Kidston pumped hydro will generate enough energy to power towns the size of Cairns, Townsville and Rockhampton for eight hours each and every day,” he said.

From pv magazine Australia

Pacific Energy has delivered a hybrid power station incorporating a 6 MW solar array fitted with 11,088 PV panels, a 2.4 MW battery energy storage system, and a 9.5 MW gas-fuelled power plant at Westgold’s Tuckabianna mine site near Cue in Western Australia’s remote mid-west.

Jamie Cullen, chief executive officer of Perth-based Pacific Energy, said the new 17.9 MW Tuckabianna power plant replaces the existing diesel-fired power station and is the first of four new hybrid facilities being developed for Westgold.

“Tuckabianna is part of a larger project to consolidate six existing power stations into four high-efficiency hybrid power stations that incorporate gas, solar and battery storage systems,” he said.

“Collectively this represents one of the largest fully integrated hybrid power systems in the Australian mining sector.”

The other three power facilities at Westgold’s Bluebird, Fortnum, and Big Bell mining sites are scheduled to be installed and operational by the third quarter of 2024.

With a combined capacity of 82 MW, including nearly 30 MW of solar and 11.4 MW of battery storage, the new facilities are expected to collectively save 38 million litres of diesel per annum and lower annual carbon emissions by about 57,000 tonnes.

Westgold Managing Director Wayne Bramwell said the new power plants, which he expects will drive down operating costs, are at the heart of the company’s clean energy transition initiative.

“This new hybrid power facility at Tuckabianna incorporates renewable energy and is a great first step along this journey, with power generated from these facilities energising our mines and processing hubs for decades to come,” he said.

The solar farms, battery storage and gas-fired power stations will be owned and operated by Pacific Energy under an electricity purchase agreement. The gas will be provided by Clean Energy Fuels Australia (CEFA) under an supply agreement.

ITM Power has agreed to work with Friem to develop a standard power supply unit design for ITM Power's 2 MW plug-and-play electrolysis container. Dennis Schulz, the CEO of ITM Power, said the move complements the UK-based company's experience with PEM electrolysis. In addition, ITM Power said it has signed a non-binding deal to sell Motive Fuels and redirect GBP 28 million ($32.5m) of pre-committed cash to its core business.

Stahlwerk Thüringen has partnered with gas network operator Ferngas to establish a connection between one of its still mills and Germany's hydrogen network by 2027. The companies have agreed to facilitate planning and technical preparations, while Thuringian Minister of Economics Carsten Feller has confirmed the German state's commitment to support the steel mill's integration into the regional hydrogen network. The project will include the conversion of a 70 k natural gas pipeline from Erfurt to Unterwellenborn, Germany.

Cummins and Taylor Machine Works have signed a letter of intent to integrate Cummins' 6.7-liter and 15-liter hydrogen engines into the Taylor Machine Works product line. ummins engines power more than 100 different models of Lift Trucks made by Taylor Machine Works for the heavy lift industry.