Cairns MIST facility shaping the future of energy in Queensland
Cairns is now home to one of the most sophisticated energy R&D hubs in Australia with the arrival of Ergon Energy’s Microgrid and Isolated Systems Test (MIST) Facility.
French-backed group midas touch for Golden Plains
TagEnergy has signed on as an equity investor to the $3 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm project, which is set to become biggest wind farm in the country and the hemisphere. TagEnergy has signed on as an equity investor to the $3 billion Golden Plains Wind Farm project, which is set to become biggest wind farm in the country and the hemisphere. Set to be located on a 16,000-hectare site in Rokewood, 133km west of Melbourne and around 66km outside of Geelong, the project will be built over two stages and will include a 1,300MW windfarm, with 217 turbines and a 300MW big battery.
Carbon footprint reduced by 45 per cent, Charles Sturt goes even greener in 2022
Charles Sturt University has contracted with Iberdrola Australia to supply renewable grid electricity for its large market sites from the Bodangora Wind Farm. The contract, established with support from energy consultant World Kinect Energy Services, will account for more than 95 per cent of Charles Sturt’s total grid electricity consumption.
Green light for urea processing just what’s needed says NFF
"During COVID, supply chains almost ground to a complete halt and exposed Australia’s reliance on the import of key inputs including urea. Many Australians would be shocked to learn the nation imports 90% of its urea, the most commonly used fertiliser in agriculture. Without urea, crop production would fall 30-40%" : National Farmers Federation Chief Executive, Tony Mahar.
Going for growth in the fertiliser industry: Littleproud
The Australian Government’s Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) has committed $255 million for critical infrastructure supporting the Perdaman Urea Project in Western Australia. The $4.3 billion project located 20 kilometres north-west of Karratha will convert Australian gas into approximately two million tonnes of urea per year.
Government awards major project status to WA urea fertiliser project: Taylor
Strike Energy Limited has been granted Major Project Status for Project Haber, its $3 billion urea manufacturing facility in the Narngulu Industrial Area, near Geraldton, Western Australia. The project will produce up to 1.4 million tonnes per annum of urea from clean hydrogen and natural gas.
Fortescue Future Industries acquires stake in Sparc Hydrogen
Fortescue Future Industries is acquiring an interest in Sparc Hydrogen Pty Ltd, a company which has an exclusive licence to develop and commercialise next-generation green hydrogen technology created by the University of Adelaide and Flinders University. Sparc Hydrogen is researching technology which would see green hydrogen produced by only sunlight and water (photocatalytic water splitting coupled with solar radiation), instead of renewable energy and electrolysis.
Investors show confidence in Patriot Hydrogen following an oversubscribed capital raise
After an oversubscribed capital raise, Australia’s leading-edge envirotech company, Patriot Hydrogen, is working full steam towards installing the first-ever Patriot unit in mid-2022 at Kimberley Clean Energy’s Kilto Station project near Broome, Western Australia. The modular hydrogen production unit will form part of Kimberley Clean Energy’s fossil fuel substitution strategy, with plans to add a hydrogen system in the next stage.
Community battery on the horizon
If elected, Labor’s Power to the People community battery plan will invest $200 million to install 400 community batteries across the country, which will cut power bills, reduce emissions, create jobs by boosting renewable energy and will cut power bills for families and businesses by $275 a year by 2025.
World first: BiØfil opens up Nullarbor for EVs with chip oil generator
Now electric vehicles can cross the Nullarbor Plain thanks to BiØfil, a world-first EV fast charging system that is fully off-grid, self-contained and powered by used chip (vegetable) oil from roadhouse deep fryers. On Sunday 16 January 2022, BiØfil was installed at the Caiguna Roadhouse, approximately 370 km east of Norseman and 370 km west of the South Australian border, making it one of the most remote EV fast charging stations on the planet.
New online service for Environmental Management Plans
The Territory Government has strengthened the implementation of a recommendation of the Hydraulic Fracturing Pepper Inquiry with the establishment of a new online subscription service for Environment Management Plans (EMPs). The new online subscription service allows the community to have their say and keep up-to-date on drilling and hydraulic fracturing EMPs that are under assessment.
World first: EV fast charger on the Nullarbor fuelled by used chip oil – Plugging the gap between WA and SA
BiØfil is a world-first fast charging system for Electric Vehicles (EVs) that is fully off-grid, self-contained and powered by used chip (vegetable) oil, a waste product ... “We’ve been isolated from the rest of Australia for too long, so once borders open up, BiØfil means all vehicles can travel across the Nullarbor, EVs included”: Jon Edwards, BiØfil inventor and retired engineer.
First harvest of biomass crops
Around one thousand trees will be harvested at Yanco this week in the next phase of a critical biomass crops for bioenergy trial. NSW DPI Senior Research Scientist, Dr Fabiano Ximenes, said the harvest operation would provide important insights into expected productivity of the trees and their potential benefits in terms of carbon sequestration and soil nutrient impacts.
A new and improved ‘big battery’ for the Darwin-Katherine electricity grid
The tender has been awarded for the 35MVA (megavolt amps) Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS) – a ‘big battery’ – for the Darwin-Katherine grid, which will deliver cost savings of around $9.8 million per year. The DK BESS is expected to pay for itself in approximately five years ... Hitachi Energy will deliver the major components of the $45 million DK BESS to be built and located at Territory Generation’s Channel Island Power Station.
AdBlue shortage not an issue for freight in Cape
A worldwide shortage of a diesel exhaust fluid will soon impact Cape York trucking companies, although freight is unlikely to be impacted ... Simon Tuxworth runs one of the biggest trucking companies in Far North Queensland and said the shortage of AdBlue was a concern for Tuxworth and Woods, but didn’t believe that services would be impacted.
Australia’s largest wind farm gets the green light
An 800MW wind farm is headed to Victoria’s south-west, as WestWind Energy was given the green light to go ahead with the Golden Plains project that is set to become one of the country’s largest.
Scarborough final investment decision a vote of confidence: Pitt
“The US$12 billion project is a real shot in the arm for the industry, for Western Australia and for the nation ... It’s estimated the project will have a peak construction workforce of over 3,000 and 600 operational jobs including 230 jobs in the heart of Pilbara at Karratha with the first LNG cargo expected in 2026 ... Woodside says that Scarborough gas will provide enough energy to power the homes in 10 cities like Perth for more than 30 years" : Minister Pitt.
Opening the Scarborough project a climate crime: Greens
The Greens have slammed the decision to approve a massive new methane gas project in the weeks following the Glasgow climate pact, calling the Liberal & Labor-approved Scarborough project a slap in the face to climate scientists. Scarborough is the most polluting project currently proposed in Australia. Driven by the WA Labor government, the gas field threatens to release 1.6bn tonnes of carbon emissions - equivalent to 15 coal-fired power stations.
BHP approves Phase 1 of the Scarborough Project: BHP
"Scarborough via Pluto will be one of the lowest carbon emissions intensity global LNG projects projected to be in production in 2030 and will have the lowest carbon emissions intensity of an Australian originated LNG project at around 0.5 tonnes CO2 per tonne of LNG. The project will minimise its greenhouse gas footprint through development of low CO2 reservoir fluids coupled with energy efficient LNG processing, in close proximity to the end market – meeting market demand at lower emissions intensity" : BHP
Thousands of jobs to be created as LNG development progresses: WA Govt
The WA State Government has welcomed Woodside's and BHP's final investment decisions for the Scarborough and Pluto Train 2 projects that will create more than 3,200 Western Australian jobs ... Consistent with the WA Domestic Gas Policy, the Scarborough Joint Venture will make gas equivalent to 15 per cent of its LNG exports available to the domestic market.
Travelling on Tesla time – for next to nothing
Angela Tillier. We drove our Tesla on a holiday in WA in August and September after buying the Model 3 SR+ - a get to know the car and the charging options. A Plug Share app shows where to charge and I calculated the distances. Wanting to see wildflowers and visit some favourite coastal towns, the trip required careful planning as some areas had no chargers.
Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub Project submission
The Tasmanian Government will today lodge its official funding submission with the Australian Government to initiate the Tasmanian Green Hydrogen Hub Project at Bell Bay confirming it as one of Australia’s strategically important locations for the development of the emerging green hydrogen industry.
