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INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

GET REAL The Smart Energy Council has written to all State and Territory Energy Ministers urging them to reject the Morrison Government’s pro-coal, anti-solar agenda. The agenda incudes an annual $7 billion CoalKeeper subsidy to prop up unprofitable, ageing, polluting coal-fired stations and a new SolarStopper tax on solar farms (Congestion Management Model).

Acknowledging the UN’s IPCC climate report provides the starkest warning yet to stop funding coal projects and instead boost renewable power, John Grimes said “These are the worst possible policies at the worst possible time… the world is literally burning and the Morrison Government is fuelling the fire.” He suggests prior to the critical COP26 climate change meeting in November, the federal energy minister develops an energy and climate change policy for the 21st Century.

The WESTERN GREEN ENERGY HUB is destined to become the world’s biggest renewable energy hub. Costing $100bn and with 50GW* wind and solar capacity it will generate 3.5m tonnes of green hydrogen or 20m tonnes of green ammonia each year. See page 35 for more on the proposal by InterContinental Energy, CWP Global and Mirning Green Energy Limited. *Current generation capacity of coal, gas and renewables plants in the NEM sits at 54GW.

POLLUTING OIL AND GAS GIANT CHEVRON has failed to capture the

greenhouse gas emissions it vowed at its Gorgon oil and gas project which is the world’s largest CCS project and the leading test case for carbon capture technology.

Gorgon was attempting to capture four million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, or 80 per cent of the carbon extracted from its reservoir gas, yet recorded capture of just 30 per cent. Environmental group Sustainable Energy Now says it’s a shocking failure of one of the world’s largest engineering projects, already $60 million of taxpayer’s money has been spent on the $3.1 billion CCS project. Clearly time the oil and gas industry recalculates its net zero forecasts.

Smart Energy is printed by Camten on 100 per cent recycled paper which is certified Carbon Neutral by the Department of Environment under the National Carbon Offset Standard (NCOS). Made in Australia by an ISO 14001 certified mill. No chlorine bleaching occurs in the recycling process. Camten uses sustainable printing practices – Sustainable Green Print – Lean and Green, and is fully FSC certified SGS COC 004746. BEYOND ZERO EMISSIONS’ independent review has found the Renewable Energy Industrial Precincts in Gladstone and the Hunter Valley will add a windfall $13 billion to the economy and 45,000 ongoing jobs by 2032, delivering an exciting future for the regions.

Energy Ministers from Queensland and NSW addressed the future energy markets of their States at Smart Energy Council’s State Energy Summits, see page 18 and visit www.smartenergy.org.au for recordings.

ARENA is providing $2 million to ClimateWorks to assist with the next stage of the Australian Industry Energy Transitions Initiative which brings together most of the nation’s’ largest industrial energy users to reduce emissions across their supply chains. The initiative is focused on iron and steel, alumina and aluminium, lithium, copper and nickel, LNG, and chemicals including plastics, fertilisers and explosives. Companies that have signed on including BHP, BlueScope, and BP Australia account for about a fifth of Australia’s industrial emissions.

PROGRAM AZ FOREST Global pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca which has pledged net zero carbon emissions by 2025 and carbon negative by 2030 has committed to planting 50 million trees around the world. Around half of all these trees will be planted in Australia on account of the Black Summer fires. The global project will result in around 20,000 hectares planted and 4.25 million tonnes of carbon dioxide sequestered over the next 25 years.

IMAGE COURTESY ARENA

IMAGE BY TERRI SHARP FROM PIXABAY

INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENTS

MOST VOTERS WANT MORE RENEWABLE ENERGY, NOT NEW GAS

AND COAL: ACF Australia’s biggest ever climate poll reveals voters in all the nation’s 151 federal electorates – including those held by the National Party – believe the Morrison government should be doing more to tackle climate change. The YouGov poll conducted for the Australian Conservation Foundation found no electorate with majority support

for government’s new gas and coal-fired power. Instead, of the 15,000 surveyed 67 per cent stated the government should be doing more to address climate change.

JAPAN plans to double its renewable energy target for 2030 and halve its use of gas, which sends a signal to proponents of Australia’s “gas led recovery”. Renewables should account for 36-38 per cent of power supply in 2030, double that of 18 per cent in March 2020. The Climate Council notes Japan is one of Australia’s biggest export markets for LNG and this development is at odds with the federal government’s support of tens of millions of dollars for new gas earmarked for export. Japan’s move to decarbonise matches pledges and targets set by the US, UK and Europe but Australia falls well behind in the absence of a net zero emissions target or higher ambitions on its 2030 goal.

REVVING UP EVs Five recipients including Chargefox will share $24.55 million to construct more than 400 new EV charging points around Australia. The funding has been allocated through the first round of ARENA’s Future Fuels Fund.

The chargers will be installed across eight regions covering 14 of Australia’s biggest cities. The projects have a total value of nearly $80 million and will deliver a seven-fold increase in the number of fast charging stations across Australia’s most populated cities and regions. POWER MELBOURNE The City of Melbourne is calling on the private sector and government to join its scheme to install renewable energy batteries in existing council infrastructure around the city in a bid to deliver more renewable energy to the grid and encourage the take-up of green power.

The City Council hopes to encourage a new wave of innovation in the mid-scale battery sector and build a capacity of 5MW by 2024.

GREEN IS COOL Readers may have spotted the curious case of a review of solar PV performance atop two separate office buildings at Sydney’s Barangaroo which concluded cooler panels – in this case situated among foliage – generate more energy. The eight-month UTS and City of Sydney study recorded performance improved by as much as 20 per cent during peak times and by 3.6 per cent over the length of the experiment which translated to an additional 9.5MWh or $2,595 worth of renewable energy.

IMAGE COURTESY ARENA

GreenPower is an independent, government-managed accreditation program. GreenPower provides confidence to customers that their purchase of a GreenPower Product from an electricity provider means they are getting Australian, renewable energy with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. By sponsoring Smart Energy magazine, GreenPower has ensured all grid electricity used in the production, design and distribution of this magazine is matched with 100 per cent accredited renewable energy.

IMAGE BY ROLF LOOSLI FROM PIXABAY

READING MATTER Those with a broad interest in climate change might like to dip into Sold Down The River co-authored by Scott Hamilton, a Smart Energy Council senior advisor. This book “exposes how Wall Street traders and robber barons cornered the market,” he said of the book that addresses climate change issues traversing water and energy.

For more of Scott’s insights tune in to his weekly segment Ticker Climate co-hosted by Holly Stearnes featuring interviews with highprofile identities including Malcolm Turnbull, Alex Hewitt of CWP Global, Chris McGrath of 5B, Greg Combet and more. Available via tickerNEWS, co channel and a free app as well as other platforms including LinkedIn and Twitter and iHeartRadio on Mondays at 4.30pm.

SOLAR VICTORIA is funding a free Business Mentoring and Support Service for registered retailers, installers and plumbers participating in the Solar Homes and Solar for Business Programs.

The Mentoring & Support Service offers up to four 90 minute free and confidential mentoring sessions such as marketing, business planning and growth strategies, and managing cash flow and budgets. For more information https://www.solar.vic.gov.au/mentoring