Thursday Island is one of the Torres Strait Islands and is located approximately 39km north of Cape York Peninsula in Far North Queensland.

Related article: Alinga’s Ruby Heard on equity through energy

Thursday Island’s wind turbines are some of the oldest operating in Australia and demonstrate the suitability of renewable energy in Australian conditions.

Ergon isolated networks manager Dane Thomas said, “It’s great to see the turbines in the air once again. Thursday Island has once again welcomed the winds of change and is embracing a renewable energy future after leading the way when the wind farm was established in 1997,” he said.

“While this was cutting-edge technology when it was initially installed, it was due for a major overhaul, so the generating equipment was shipped to a specialist facility in South Australia while the towers were maintained onsite.

“With the completion of this $2 million project we have improved the reliability and efficiency of the wind turbines, which can generate enough energy to support around 100 high-use homes and are expected to save several thousand litres of diesel a week,” Thomas said.

To date, the wind turbines have generated more than 18,921MWh of renewable energy and savings of 220,000L of diesel a year on average.

As part of its commitment to decarbonising remote communities, and in consultation with the local councils and traditional owners, Ergon Energy Network is pursuing a range of renewable energy options on Thursday Island, including solar solutions.

Related article: Here’s how microgrids are empowering regional and remote Australian communities

“While the turbines can produce a lot of clean energy when the wind is blowing they won’t be as productive during those calm periods, known as ‘the doldrums’, and that’s why we need a mix of energy solutions,” Thomas said.

“There is widespread community interest in harnessing the power of the sun and we are working together with the council and other agencies to find the most suitable options and support a renewable energy future.”

The post Australia’s oldest wind turbines get new lease on life appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Momentum Energy’s VEN leverages the Enosi Powertracer Platform to facilitate the seamless virtual transfer of the benefits of locally generated solar energy across Port of Brisbane sites.

Related article: Momentum Energy incentivises customers to quit gas

The VEN enables commercial and industrial customers to virtually share the benefits of their excess solar between multiple sites, financially offsetting their energy consumption from the grid. The VEN will soon be available to small business customers as well.

Momentum’s VEN is particularly suited for organisations that produce more solar than they can use at a single location and want to ‘share’ that across locations that can’t host a solar array, that want to reduce power costs with solar, and that prefer to trade their own solar than purchase and transfer Large Scale Generation Certificates (LGCs).

The Port of Brisbane is Momentum’s first Virtual Energy Network customer. When it built its International Cruise Terminal in 2020, it installed an 800kW rooftop solar system that generated more electricity than it could use at the passenger terminal.

Under the VEN, Port of Brisbane can now virtually share the benefits of that locally generated solar across its other PBPL-operated sites at the Port.

Instead of Port of Brisbane receiving a small feed-in tariff, Momentum financially offsets that excess solar production against the energy used at other PBPL-operated sites, which has led to significant energy cost savings and greater utilisation of solar generated.

Momentum Energy managing director Lisa Chiba said that while the Port of Brisbane VEN was about maximising the benefits of an existing solar installation, other businesses might utilise a VEN to invest in larger solar arrays than originally planned.

“With a faster return on investment, Momentum’s VEN might incentivise C&I customers to invest in solar on a much larger scale than they normally would,” she said.

Related article: Adelaide Airport to almost triple rooftop solar system

Participation in the VEN is currently open to eligible commercial and industrial customers who have an energy contract with Momentum. In the Port of Brisbane’s case, they have a Corporate Power Purchase Agreement (CPPA) through which they purchase renewable energy certificates (LGCs) from the Granville Harbour Wind Farm in Tasmania.

Momentum Energy is owned by Hydro Tasmania, Australia’s largest generator of renewable energy.

The post Virtual energy network helping businesses boost solar appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The appointment of globally renowned clean energy expert Professor Jonathan Love was announced at an industry event to launch the construction of the new Gladstone Hydrogen Central information centre that will be located at the University’s Gladstone Marina campus.

Related article: Queensland Govt approves massive Tarong West Wind Farm

As part of his new role as Stanwell Chair in Hydrogen, Professor Love will provide academic, research and strategic leadership to initiate, develop and steer a team of researchers to deliver knowledge and innovation to support the development of a thriving hydrogen and renewable energy industry, with a specific focus on the Gladstone region.

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said Queensland’s energy sector is undergoing a transformational change to a clean energy future, and renewable hydrogen has the potential to play a key role in this transformation.

“Renewable hydrogen can help achieve several objectives for Queensland, Australia, and our trading partners including domestic decarbonisation, economic transition, and new clean energy export markets for Australia,” he said.

“Stanwell is committed to driving the development of Queensland’s hydrogen industry and we are delighted to deepen our partnership with CQUniversity by funding the establishment of the Stanwell Professorial Chair of Hydrogen at CQUniversity.

“In his role, Professor Love will focus on applied research that supports advancing the hydrogen industry in Queensland, including our flagship project, the Central Queensland Hydrogen Project (CQ-H2).

Related article: Unis launch Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy

Professor Jonathan Love will work with industry partners and clean energy researchers across Queensland and says he is looking forward to building strong industry partnerships and further building CQUniversity’s credentials in hydrogen and renewable energy research and development.

“There are already so many exciting projects happening in the region, and I believe we have a real opportunity to establish a brand-new industry, create jobs and deliver a lasting legacy of economic growth through clean, reliable energy,” he said.

The post Stanwell appoints research chair to advance renewables appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Ark Energy general manager development for Tasmania Donna Bolton said, “The St Patricks Plains Wind Farm site is an excellent location for wind energy generation. Grid connection is onsite, residual environmental impacts can be managed and the wind resource is excellent.

Related article: Ark Energy withdraws plans for Doughboy Wind Farm

“This project will deliver much needed new renewable electricity generation to help Tasmania benefit from its world leading wind resource and achieve its renewable energy target, as well as bring a wide range of benefits for the local community and region.”

The St Patricks Plains Wind Farm has been in development since 2019 and has undergone several design iterations, including removal of 20 wind turbines to avoid environmental impacts, minimise visual impacts and address community concerns.

“We have worked hard to avoid and minimise potential environmental impacts, and the unavoidable environmental impacts are manageable, as shown by the EPA’s report,” Bolton said.

“The Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle has been a key species of focus. Proactive avoidance and the latest technology have been combined to achieve the least impact possible to Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagles. Major design revisions have been made to avoid areas used by eagles and the Identiflight curtailment system will be installed across the site to minimise collision risk.

“We will continue to seek to minimise environmental impacts, be a good neighbour to those around the project area, and work diligently to deliver benefits from the project to the local community and wider region.”

Related article: Italy’s Prysmian to supply HVDC cables for Marinus Link

Ark Energy will now consider the conditions issued with the permit approval and awaits a final decision under the EPBC Act from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

This is the first planning approval in Tasmania for Ark Energy and follows approval earlier this year for its 347MW Bowmans Creek Wind Farm to be located in the NSW Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone.

The post Ark gets planning approval for Tasmanian wind farm appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

ZEN Energy will supply SBS’s New South Wales and Victoria-based operations with 100% renewable energy over the next 10 years with Large-scale Generation Certificates (LGCs) uniquely paired with the 226.8MW Collector Wind Farm in NSW.

Related article: ZEN proposes 1GW Western Sydney Pumped Hydro project

SBS is the first Australian media organisation to switch to 100% renewable energy in FY23. This commitment will now be achieved over the long term through the 10-year agreement with ZEN.

SBS has set the most ambitious target of any Australian media outlet, to reach net zero across scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions by 2045. SBS has also partnered with Scope3 to measure emissions from advertising technology, affording advertising clients greater transparency of carbon emissions from their advertising campaigns.

ZEN was Australia’s first energy company to commit to the global Science-based Targets initiative for corporate action on climate change. SBS has also applied to have its net zero targets validated by the initiative.

RATCH-Australia’s Collector Wind Farm commenced full operations in 2021 and consists of 54 turbines collectively producing 528GWh each year, capable of powering 80,000 NSW homes and saving close to 320,000 tonnes of CO2 emission each year. The wind farm project has also involved an industry-leading community benefit sharing scheme.

Related article: Flow Power inks solar PPA with Asahi and BaptistCare

SBS head of sustainability Abigail Thomas said, “This 10-year agreement with ZEN Energy through wind power ensures that SBS’s commitment to carbon reduction is not just a short-term initiative but a long-term strategy.

“By securing a decade of 100% renewable energy, we are taking significant steps towards our net zero targets and demonstrating our dedication to sustainability efforts and innovation in Australia’s media sector.”

The post SBS becomes Australia’s first 100% renewable broadcaster appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

State-owned Stanwell is working with global renewable energy developer RES to build the proposed 436.5MW wind farm 30km south-west of Kingaroy.

Related article: Ark Energy withdraws plans for Doughboy Wind Farm

The project will feature 97 wind turbines and produce enough clean energy to power the equivalent of 230,000 homes.

The SARA assessment considered an accommodation strategy for workers to ensure housing supply in the region will not be adversely affected.

SARA has worked closely with the Department of Resources to ensure that the development helps protect important areas of ecological significance including protecting up to 13.47ha of koala habitat.

Conditions have been imposed for offsetting impacts for up to 5.4ha of Koala habitat in addition to requirements to rehabilitate areas cleared during construction, to the greatest extent possible.

Construction is expected to commence from 2025.

Related article: Palmer Wind Farm gets go-ahead in South Australia

Stanwell CEO Michael O’Rourke said, “The Tarong West Wind Farm is a critical part of not only Stanwell’s plan to decarbonise our existing portfolio, but it’s critical to Queensland reaching its renewable energy targets.

“This development approval brings us one step closer to our aim of having 9-10GW of large-scale wind and solar capacity by 2035 and we are continuing to work with RES through the approval processes so we can bring this project to life.”

The post Queensland Govt approves massive Tarong West Wind Farm appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The scorecard is produced through AEMO’s work with market participants, as well as transmission and distribution network service providers (NSP) involved in the comprehensive connection process.

Related article: AEMO says renewables “the most efficient path” to net zero

AEMO onboarding and connections group manager Margarida Pimentel said, “Compared to the previous 12 months, the capacity of projects working through the connection process have surged from 30GW to 43GW.”

“Early-stage application approvals involving the NSP and AEMO have increased 74%, from 6.9GW to 12GW, and the typical duration reduced by one month, from 10.9 to 9.7 months.

“AEMO has helped reduce the time taken for application approvals through collaborating, specifically by addressing key design elements early in the process and using opportunities to split scope between the NSP and AEMO to reduce duplication of work,” she said.

Over the past 12 months, projects that have application approvals from their NSP and AEMO are taking longer in the ‘proponent implementation’ stage, the stage when contracts are established, and plant is constructed.

In FY24, 75% of projects completed this stage within 21 months, compared with 12 months in FY23. The volume of projects currently in this stage has been steadily increasing and is currently sitting at 15GW compared to 11GW a year ago.

These delays can be attributed to issues such as longer equipment lead times, refinancing, delayed contract execution and construction due to the limited resources available across a growing pool of projects, and changeovers in original equipment manufacturers.

“While both registration and commissioning has not changed significantly compared to last year, we are starting to see a steady increase in new package submissions for registration, close to 7GW compared to 1.5GW at the same time last year,” Pimentel said.

“On a positive note, there has been a significant decrease in the time projects are taking to progress through commissioning, with 75% of projects commissioned to full output within 6.9 months, compared to more than 11 months in June FY23.

Related article: AEMO’s grid forecast update warns of “energy gaps”

“Contributing to this is a new approach to commissioning AEMO is using with a number of projects, taking learnings from the Federal Government’s summer readiness program and industry-supported Connections Reform Initiative trials, which has helped reduce time taken for plant to reach full output,” she said.

During the month of June 24, four projects totalling 0.72GW received application approval, with the majority from battery projects (365MW), followed by wind (276MW) and solar plus battery (80MW).

The post AEMO scorecard shows generation pipeline is growing appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: FRV’s first hybrid solar-plus-storage project goes live

The $1.2 billlion refinancing guarantees the financial support for all the plants as well as a solid backing for future growth and development of new projects. The transaction also secures construction funding for the Terang project, the first utility-scale BESS project of FRV Australia, with a capacity of 100MW capacity in Victoria.

The transaction includes all FRV Australia’s operating and under-construction plants, including Lilyvale, Moree, Sebastopol, Goonumbla, Metz, Winton, Walla Walla and Dalby.

FRV Australia CEO Carlo Frigerio said, “We are thrilled to achieve this significant milestone in our journey This refinancing not only secures the future of our current operations but also provides a strong foundation for our continued growth and commitment to developing renewable energy projects across Australia.”

Related article: FRV reaches financial close on Walla Walla Solar Farm

The refinancing process involved eleven financial institutions, including ING Bank, Westpac Banking Corporation, MUFG Bank, Société Générale, Norddeutsche Landesbank, Mizuho Bank, Intesa Sanpaolo, United Overseas Bank, the Clean Energy Finance Corporation, China Construction Bank and Agricultural Bank of China.

The post FRV Australia secures $1.2B refinancing of solar portfolio appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: ARENA spruiks huge potential of ultra low-cost solar

The design and piloting of first and second-generation prototype robots has the potential to reduce piling time and labour costs by approximately 82% and 88% respectively, increasing installation efficiency and safety.

“Australia is a technology hub for renewable energy, and Built Robotics is honoured to be working with ARENA to continue inventing better ways of building solar farms,” Built Robotics general manager and VP of business development Paul Kelly said.

“By helping to automate the most repetitive and difficult tasks on jobsites, Built’s robots aim to lower the cost of energy, accelerate construction and provide safer working conditions for skilled workers.”

ARENA is looking to reduce the installed cost of a solar project to just 30c per watt and reach a levelised cost of electricity below $20/MWh by 2030. This could help unlock a total installed capacity of 1TW of solar PV by 2050.

Related article: How ultra low-cost solar will unlock our superpower vision

The Built Robotics project is an example of the innovative ideas that ARENA expects to support through its $100 million Solar ScaleUp Challenge.

The post Built Robotics gets funding to help drive down solar costs appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

These new contracts allow participants to price and hedge emissions reduction risk amid the transition to a lower carbon economy. They represent the first carbon futures contracts to launch in Australia and New Zealand.

Related article: Gold Hydrogen begins trading on ASX

The three futures contracts are available for trading on the ASX 24 Market and include physically delivered Large Generation Certificate (LGC) Futures, Australian Carbon Credit Unit (ACCU) Futures and New Zealand Unit (NZU) Futures.

ASX head of commodities Daniel Sinclair said, “As Australia moves from a voluntary to compliance-led carbon market in step with other global jurisdictions, derivatives markets can play an essential role.

“The transition to clean energy, by definition, is uncertain, and ASX-hosted Environmental Futures will be a key instrument in managing risk and supporting the net zero targets of organisations and policymakers.”

Australia’s carbon market is poised for its next stage of development and is set to be one of the world’s largest producers of carbon credits over coming years. Recent data from the Clean Energy Regulator shows that around half of all ACCUs now sit in the registry accounts of safeguard or safeguard related entities alone.

ASX’s Environmental Futures are part of a broader ecosystem of current and planned futures and options contracts across electricity, gas and environmental markets.

Related article: Australia issues inaugural $7 billion green bond

“Building from our core electricity products and driven by strong market demand, ASX intends to develop a diversified and integrated transitional product ecosystem that helps our customers to price and manage the risk and uncertainty of the energy transition,” Sinclair said.

“A liquid and transparent Environmental Futures market will give organisations greater visibility and confidence to support ongoing investment in renewable energy and carbon abatement projects. This will ultimately help mobilise capital towards meeting longer-term emissions targets.”

The post ASX launches Environmental Futures contracts to market appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Partnering with university and key offshore wind stakeholders, ACOWE will serve as the gateway to access multidisciplinary Australian research capabilities.

As a newcomer to Australia’s renewable energy portfolio, offshore wind faces several significant challenges including a complex regulatory environment, social acceptance, workforce shortage, environmental management, supply chain gaps, and the need for site-specific engineering. These challenges, if not addressed promptly, could become roadblocks to progress.

ACOWE director and The University of Melbourne associate professor Shiaohuey Chow said the Centre would collaborate with stakeholders to advance research, teaching and training to support the growing offshore wind energy sector.

“ACOWE’s collaborative approach is essential to unlocking Australia’s renewable energy portfolio because no single organisation can deliver the cross-functional support needed by governments, communities and industry,” a/prof Chow said.

The initiative aims to develop the labour force by offering training and education in the energy sector, equipping the future workforce with the necessary skills for building and maintaining offshore and onshore infrastructure.

The centre involves collaboration between the University of Melbourne, Deakin University, Federation University, the University of Newcastle, The University of Western Australia and the University of Wollongong.

University of Melbourne deputy vice-chancellor (research) Professor Mark Cassidy said, “The university is thrilled to contribute to Australia’s net zero goals through this initiative.

“By uniting leading experts from various universities, we can tackle the complex challenges of offshore wind energy and ensure our research drives tangible impacts in industry and policy.”

The post Unis launch Australian Centre for Offshore Wind Energy appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: Ark Energy’s Bowmans Creek Wind Farm gets govt tick

Ark said the project in its “current form” had been withdrawn from the NSW Government’s planning and assessment process. The proposal has also been automatically withdrawn from the federal environmental assessment process managed by the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

Ark Energy maintains the site is an excellent location for wind energy generation, and may reconsider the project with a different design at a later date, and pending further consultation.

“In the event that Ark Energy chooses to recommence development of the project in the future, a new scoping report will be prepared, and the assessment and approval process for the revised project would commence from the beginning,” the company said in a statement.

Earlier this year, Ark Energy withdrew its proposed Wooroora Station Wind Farm in North Queensland from the federal environmental assessment process following indications it was unlikely to be approved due to its proximity to a World-Heritage-listed rainforest.

Related article: Ark Energy scraps proposed Wooroora Station Wind Farm

It also plans to build the 50.4MW Western Plains Wind Farm in north-west Tasmania late last year, saying it wouldl instead focus on developing larger utility-scale wind projects.

The post Ark Energy withdraws plans for Doughboy Wind Farm appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The Mt Weld hybrid power station will include a 24MW wind farm, 7MW solar farm, and a 12MW/12MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS).

Related article: Zenith completes 16.9MW 5B solar farm at Jundee gold mine

The renewable facility will be supported by a 17MW gas-fired power station with 5MW of standby diesel generation. Upon completion, the total installed capacity of the Mt Weld Power Station will be approximately 65MW.

The term of the PPA is 15 years, commencing from commercial operation of the wind farm, which is scheduled to occur in calendar year 2026. The diesel and gas facilities are scheduled to be completed in the first half of calendar year 2025, with solar and BESS to be installed progressively, and full operation expected in calendar year 2026.

The Mt Weld Power Station has been designed to run “engine-off” during periods of high renewable energy production and achieve an average annual renewable energy percentage of up to approximately 70%.

Zenith CEO and managing director, Hamish Moffat said, “As a leading provider of sustainable energy solutions to the Australian resources market Zenith is pleased to be working with Lynas, the world’s only significant producer of separated rare earth materials outside of China, on the high renewable energy fraction hybrid power solution to their Mt Weld operations.

Related article: Zenith Energy wins Independent Power Producer award

“The signing of the Mt Weld Hybrid power station Power Purchase Agreement represents a significant milestone for Zenith Energy, with our contracted Wind Capacity now exceeding 100MW. Zenith looks forward to enabling Lynas to deliver on their productivity and decarbonisation objectives.”

The post Zenith to build hybrid renewables project in WA appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: RES reveals plans for 1.3GW Cannie Wind Farm in Victoria

The 288MW Palmer Wind Farm will be located between the townships of Palmer and Tungkillo and includes the installation of 40 wind turbines which will connect to South Australia’s electricity network.

The project will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 212,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year, which is equivalent to taking more than 65,000 cars off the road each year.

“The site is already cleared land and used for grazing. The project demonstrates how good site selection can lead to faster environmental approvals,” the government said in a statement.

“Projects need to be placed in the right areas and designed so that their environmental impacts are minimised— as is the case with this wind farm.”

Developer Tilt Renewables said on its website that the wind farm’s design had been changed following community consultation.

“We [changed the] design to reduce the maximum number of turbines from 103 to 40. These fewer, larger turbines could generate a similar level of clean renewable energy while allowing bigger setbacks from existing dwellings and townships.

Related article: Ark Energy’s Bowmans Creek Wind Farm gets govt tick

“Reducing the number of turbines would also shrink the project area by more than 5,000ha and significantly reduce the potential impacts of the approved Palmer Wind Farm.”

The post Palmer Wind Farm gets go-ahead in South Australia appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.