LOCAL and GLOBAL NEWS NSW ENERGY SUPERPOWER: NOW WE’RE TALKING
NSW Energy Minister Matt Kean has unveiled the state’s new energy plan that will attract $32 billion in new private investment and deliver 12GW of new renewable energy capacity with an additional 2GW of storage capacity by 2030. The NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap plan will see the development of renewable energy zones with wind, solar and energy storage projects as the state transitions from coal-fired power. The plan described as the most ambitious in the nation will generate more than 9000 jobs (and net gain of 23,600 between 2032 and 2037) and $1.5 billion in lease payments for regional landowners for wind and solar farms, while driving down electricity costs for households and business, earning NSW a spot in the top 10 lowest OECD electricity prices. Minister Matt Kean also says the plan is expected to reduce emissions from NSW’s electricity sector by around half, with an equivalent reduction of around 90 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually by 2030. The giant leap forward is both symbolic and significant: acceptance (of the need to tackle emissions with renewables) over denial (of climate change), and bodes well for Australia’s decarbonised future.
CLEANCO QUEENSLAND AND FRENCH DEVELOPER NEOEN have signed a new PPA for 110MW of wind energy which will be part of the larger 157MW wind farm at the Kaban Green Power Hub near Ravenshoe, south-west of Cairns. The plant will generate 457GWh of clean energy each year for Powerlink Queensland’s transmission network.
A LEAD EPC CONTRACTOR has been appointed for the commencement of the first stage of the 720MW (AC) New England Solar Farm and battery project being developed near Uralla by leading renewable energy developer UPC/AC Renewables Australia. The solar farm and battery project will be built in two stages, the first 400MW (AC) stage and the 33/330 kilovolt substation will be installed by Elecnor on the northern section of the site.
AUSTRALIA’S CASEY RESEARCH STATION in Antarctica houses an imposing 105-panel 30kW vertical array on its north side that will provide one tenth of the facility’s total electricity demand and reduce reliance on diesel generators. Why vertical? At the very low latitudes the sun typically doesn’t rise much above the horizon, so more sunshine lands on the wall than roof. A wind deflector sits down the length of the array to reduce the impact of high winds during blizzards which the installation team battled along with temperatures as low as -7°C. The system’s solar panels were sourced from Germany’s Aleo Solar and the inverters from Austria-based Fronius.
STAYING ON THE VERTICAL energy network provider WINconnect has completed installation of vertical solar panels for Melbournebased residential development Harbour One. The SunMan eArc system comprises 87 solar panels and is estimated to generate 32,000kWh a year, the equivalent of powering 11 (of the 330) apartments off grid and offsetting 27 tonnes of carbon emissions annually. The lightweight solar panels weighing approximately 8kg each were glued to the vertical louvred surface on the Harbour One rooftop. In a strong vote of confidence in the technology, the CEFC recently invested $9.6 million in Sunman.
4 SUMMER 2020
AGGREKO AND GOLD FIELDS have completed the installation of the renewable energy microgrids for the Granny Smith gold mine in Western Australia, touted one of the world’s largest. The new hybrid power system, which has been integrated with the existing gas fired power station, is powered by more than 20,000 solar panels and supported by a 2MW/1MWh battery system. The power solution will reduce fuel consumption at the mine by 10-13 per cent.
IKEA AUSTRALIA is on a mission to transform stores into clean energy power stations with the installation of Australia’s largest grid-connected microgrid at IKEA Australia. The project is being run with Planet Ark Power, the South Australian Government, SA Power Networks and Epic Energy. AUDI AUSTRALIA is committing to 100 per cent renewable energy as a business from 2021, accredited through GreenPower and primarily sourced from the Capital Wind Farm precinct near Canberra. The timing coincides with Audi’s first electric vehicles in Australia: the Audi e-tron and e-tron Sportback. Audi aspires to 30 electrified models by 2025.
