Australian Centre for Advance Photovoltaics
Date: 2020-12-14
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Centre for Advance Photovoltaics at the University of NSW is reporting receipt of $19 million in grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support research into new solar cell and fuel materials, boost cell efficiency, and develop new storage products.

The ARENA funds will support the development of new combinations of materials that can be used to generate energy more efficiently and to place the energy generation devices in more places than rooftop panels or solar farms. (Source: Australian Centre for Advance Photovoltaics, Brisban Times, 12 Dec., 2020) Contact: University of Melbourne, Australian Centre for Advance Photovoltaics , Dr Renata Egan, research facility Chairperson, +61 3 9035 5511, www.science.unimelb.edu.au; ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, www.arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Photovoltaic,  ARENA,  

ARENA,Australia
Date: 2020-09-28
In the Land Down Under, Ministry for Energy and Emissions Reduction reports the Australian government expects to invest $18 billion in new low emission technologies over the next ten years to reduce carbon emissions. The ministry also released the government's first Low Emission Technology Statement aimed at making new technologies cost-competitive with existing technologies.

To that end, the new plan aims to: reduce the production cost of hydrogen; lower the cost of long duration battery storage systems; reduce the price of soil carbon measurement; decrease the cost of carbon capture storage (CCS) to under $20/ton; cut the production cost of low emission aluminum and for low emission steel; and others.

Accordingly, the government will establish a Technology Investment Framework and invest around $1.9 billion in a new energy technology package and complete its Long Term Emission Reduction Strategy before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26).

As previously reported, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) recently received $1.62 billion in government funding to enhance the utilization of low emission technologies to cut emissions across the chain. (Source: Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, ARENA, Mercom India, 27 Sept., 2020) Contact: Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction, Hon Angus Taylor, +02 6277 7120, angus.taylor.mp@aph.gov.au www.minister.industry.gov.au; ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, www.arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News ARENA,  Corbon Emissions,  

Australia, Zero Emissions
Date: 2020-09-21
Further to our Jan 15, 2020 coverage when Australian Prime Minster Hon. Scott Morrison (Lib) claimed Australia's carbon emissions will be slashed by 42 pct within this decade -- a far greater reduction than the Australian Department of Environment's latest projection of just 4 pct by 2030 -- the PM now says Australia can achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 but won't commit to making that an explicit target.

Morrison notes reaching the goal will require more lower emissions technologies and energy sources such as carbon capture and storage (CCS) and hydrogen and to that end his government has pledged to put $1.9 billion into the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFE) while allowing them to back CCS projects which they are presently prohibited from making. (Source: Office of Australian Prime Minster Hon. Scott Morrison, PR, Sydney Morning Herald, 20 Sept., 2020) Contact: Office of Australian Prime Minster Hon. Scott Morrison, www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm; Australian Renewable Energy Agency, www.arena.gov; Clean Energy Finance Corporation, www.cefc.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News AREA,  Australia Climate Change,  Zero Emissions,  Scott Morrison,  

RayGen,Photon Energy
Date: 2020-04-17
In the Land Down Under, Melbourne-based solar power technology and renewable energy storage specialist RayGen is touting plans to develop a huge 100MW/1,000MWh concentrated solar (CSP) and hydro storage project.

RayGen's technology is currently on track to be tested at a 50MWh-scale in Victoria State with $3 million in funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and a key partnership with Sydney-based major power generator and retailer AGL Energy Ltd.

The company also recently announced a planned 200MW solar plant with around 100MW/1000MWh storage Photon Energy. (Source: RayGen, PR, 15 April, 2020) Contact: Raygen, +61 3 8669 0380, www.raygen.com; ARENA, www.arena.gov.au; AGL Energy, 011 61 3 8633 6000, www.agl.com.au; Photon Energy, www.photonenergy.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Australian Renewable Energy Agency,  Concentrated Solat,  Energy Storage,  Photon,  

ARENA,Global Ecofuel
Date: 2019-05-10
In New South Wales, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reports it has awarded $350,000 to two companies -- Global Ecofuel and Boral Timber -- to investigate the production of renewable bitumen and diesel from sawmill woody biomass waste.

Under the $842,000 study, Boral Timber, a hardwood and softwood supplier, will explore the technical and financial viability of establishing a biorefinery near the Herons Creek sawmill. If constructed, the proposed biorefinery could cost around $35 million and could convert up to 50,000 tpy of waste sawmill residue into transport-grade renewable diesel and bitumen. (Source: ARENA, World Highways, 8 May, 2019) Contact: Boral Timber , Wayne Manners, Exec. Manager, www.boral.com.au/products/timber, www.boral.com; Arena, www.arena.gov.au/projects/hardwood-residue-bio-refinery-feasibility-study; Global Ecofuel Solutions, https://gefs.es

More Low-Carbon Energy News Woody Biomass,  ARENA,  

Muradel
Date: 2019-04-10
In the Land Down Under, Whyalla, South Australia based microalgae - advanced bio-crude startup company Mursadel is reported to have been placed in voluntary administration -- Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection.

Muradel developed Green2Black, a proprietary way of producing biofuel from biosolids, algae and other sustainable feedstocks. The company's $10.5 million demonstration plant in Whyalla in a bid to commercialize the technology which received $4.5 million in grant funding from the Federal Government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and more than $500,000 in state and council funds. Unfortunately, production costs were prohibitive - the pilot plant produced oil from micro-algae at about $9.90 a litre against a projected cost of less than $1 a litre. The company also built five algae ponds to support research.

The business was established in 2010 by the University of Adelaide, Murdoch University and majority shareholder SQC Pty Ltd, which is solely funded by Aban Australia Pty Ltd. (part of the Ausker Group of Companies).(Source: Daily Telegraph, The Advertiser, Others, 9 April, 2019) Contact: Muradel, +61 8 8645 5683, www.muradel.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Muradel,  Biofuel,  Algae,  

Hydrostor,ARENA
Date: 2019-02-13
Toronto-headquartered advanced compressed air energy storage (A-CAES) specialist Hydrostor Inc. is reporting its subsidiary, Hydrostor Australia Pty Ltd, has been awarded a combined total of $9 million in grant funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and the Government of South Australia in support of the 5 MW project. Australia's first A-CAES project is slated for construction at the site of a mothballed mine near Adelaide.

(Source: Hydrostor, 12 Feb., 2019) Contact: Hydrostor, Curtis VanWalleghem, CEO. www.hydrostor.ca; ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, http://arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News ARENA,  Hydrostor,  Compressed Air Energy STorage,  

Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources,
Date: 2019-01-18
In the Land Down Under, the Sydney-based University of Newcastle Institute for Energy and Resources (NIER) and Ethanol Technologies (Ethtec), in partnership with the Muswellbrook Shire Council, reports the development of the Hunter Pilot Biorefinery (HPB), a bio-renewables research facility and an environmentally sustainable process to produce biofuels and other renewable chemicals from crop and forestry waste.

The HPB will be a state-of-the-art facility containing biomass processing and fermentation equipment applicable to a range of biofuel and renewable chemical production technologies.

The first phase of the project received $4.6 million from the New South Wales (NSW) Government under the Growing Local Economies fund to unlock long-term growth opportunities in regional NSW through targeted infrastructure investment.

The foundation project of the Biorefinery is a $30 million cellulosic ethanol pilot plant project by Apace Research Limited (Apace), Ethanol Technologies Limited (Ethtec), the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), Chinese engineering company JTL and the University of Newcastle. (Source: University of Newcastle, Australia, PR 17 Jan., 2019) Contact: NIER, Professor Alan Broadfoot, Executive Director, +61 2 4033 9000, www.newcastle.edu.au; Ethtec, + 61 7 4776 5300, +61 7 4776 5392 - fax, www.ethtec.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Biofuel,  Ethanol,  Ethtec,  Biomass,  

BORAL,ARENA
Date: 2018-12-19
Further to our 27th August report, In the Land Down Under, lumber and building materials supplier BORAL and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) are reported to have joined forces to fund a $1.2 million (AUS) feasibility study of a proposed a second-generation woody biomass biorefinery in New South Wales (NSW).

The study will explore the potential conversion of up to 50,000 tonnes of sawmill hardwood residues from a BORAL owned sawmill near Port Macquarie, NSW, into renewable transport-grade diesel and bitumen using world-first technology. The study will consider a mechanical catalytic conversion technology, developed by Spanish-based Global Ecofuel Solutions, combined with the potential biorefinery. The process has never before been used in a production-scale facility.(Source: BORAL, ARENA, AggNet, 18 Dec., 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, http://arena.gov.au; Boral Limited, www.boral.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Renewable Diesel,  Biofuel,  Renewable Fuel,  ARENA,  BORAL,  

Date: 2018-11-23
In the Land Down Under, the South Australian Government has introduced a AU$50 million Grid Scale Storage Fund (GSSF) aimed at accelerating the deployment of new large-scale energy storage projects, including pumped hydro, hydrogen, gas storage, solar thermal, bioenergy and battery storage.

Potential projects seeking funding will be assessed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). Projects shortlisted for GSSF funding may also be eligible for ARENA funding under the Advancing Renewables Program . Under the GSSF, applicants must be able to match funding dollar-for-dollar and preference will be given to projects targeting financial close by the end of 2019.

ARENA is already supporting feasibility studies for two prospective pumped hydro plants at Cultana and Middleback Ranges, two virtual power plants trials and has contributed towards two grid-scale batteries -- Infigen's Lake Bonney battery and the ESCRI battery in Dalrymple. (Source: ARENA, Energy Storage, 23 Nov., 2018) Contact: ARENA, www.arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Australia,  Energy Storage,  ARENA,  

Origin Energy
Date: 2018-10-29
In Canberra, the Australian federal government government has announced $2 million of funding for an Origin Energy study into the proposed expansion of its Shoalhaven pumped hydro energy storage scheme, a project that could provide baseload power for up 80,000 homes.

The proposal, which would up the station's capacity from 240MW to 475MW should it go ahead, is to pump water from Lake Yarrunga to Fitzroy Falls Reservoir via a new underground pumped power station.

The feasibility study would be completed by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and could cost as much as $6.8 million when completed in 2019. 2019. (Source: Australian Renewable Energy Agency, Oct., 2018) Contact: ARENA, www.arena.gov.au; Origin Energy, Frank Calabria, CEO, www.originenergy.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Origin Energy,  Pumped Hydro,  Energy Storage,  

ARENA
Date: 2018-10-24
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency Australian (ARENA) reports it is partnering with the energy firm Jemena Ltd. on a $15 million trial project to create hydrogen gas from solar and wind power.

The partners plan to construct a 500-KW electrolyser in western Sydney as part of Project H2GO. The facility will be able to generate enough hydrogen to power about 250 homes. The resulting fuel would be stored for use across the Jemena Gas Network in New South Wales. (Source: Jemena, Power Eng., 22 Oct., 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, www.arena.gov.au; Jemena, Frank Tudor, Managing Dir., 1300 536 362, https://jemena.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News ARENA,  

ARENA,Boral Limited
Date: 2018-08-27
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reports it will provide up to $500,000 in funding to Boral Timber, a subsidiary of Boral Limited, to investigate construction of a "second-generation" biofuels refinery at Herons Creek near Port Macquarie, New South Wales.

Boral Timber's $1.2 million study will explore the technical and financial viability of establishing a biorefinery using innovative technology, which would see biofuels derived from waste sawmill residues from its Herons Creek sawmill. According to the company, the proposed $50 million plant could process up to 50,000 tpy of waste sawmill residue into transport-grade renewable diesel and bitumen. (Source: ARENA, 27 Aug., 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ivor Frischknecht, CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, http://arena.gov.au; Boral Limited, www.boral.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News ARENA,  Woody Biomass,  Biomass-to-Fuel,  

Infigen Energy,Tesla
Date: 2018-08-20
In the Land Down Under, Infigen Energy reports its 278.5MW Lake Bonney wind facility will install a 25MW Tesla grid-scale battery energy storage system in South Australia. According to Infigen Energy, the energy storage capacity will play a crucial role in stabilizing the surrounding region's grid with its flexibility services.

Infigen has secured project funding agreements with the South Australian government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) worth around $38 (AUS) million. South Australia is home to the world's largest battery -- a 100MW system at the Hornsdale wind farm. (Source: Infigen Energy, 18 Aug., 2018) Contact: Infigen, Energy, Ross Rolfe, CEO, +61 2 8031 9901, rosalie.duff@infigenenergy.com, www.infigenenergy.com; Tesla Power Pack, www.tesla.com/en_CA/powerpack

More Low-Carbon Energy News Infigen Energy,  Tesla PowerPack,  ,  Wind,  Energy Storage,  

Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Date: 2018-08-01
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) reports it is adding $1.5 million (Aus.) ($1.1 million) to fund the country's first green hydrogen innovation hub to trial the production, storage and use of renewable hydrogen to energize a commercial-scale microgrid at Jandakot, Western Australia.

The facility will produce Green hydrogen from on-site solar using electrolysis, fueling a range of gas appliances and blending hydrogen into the natural gas pipeline. The $3.3 million ($2.5 million) development project will also evaluate the potential for renewable hydrogen to be exported at a larger scale.

Japan is seen as a potential market for Australian renewable hydrogen. (Source: ARENA, MarEx, 31 July, 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ian Kay, Acting CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, http://arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Hydrogen,  Australian Renewable Energy Agency,  

Australian Renewable Energy Agency
Date: 2018-07-27
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is reporting $4 million in funding to Southern Oil Refining for its $11.8 million pilot project aimed at converting sewage biosolids into crude oil at its existing refinery near Gladstone, Queensland .

The project involves building a demonstration scale hydrothermal liquefaction reactor to produce the renewable crude oil from biosolids. The hydrothermal liquefaction will involve the treatment of the biosolids using a thermochemical conversion process to produce a biocrude oil that will be upgraded to renewable diesel and potentially renewable jet fuel.

ARENA previously funded Southern Oil Refining's first-of-its-kind biocrude and biofuel laboratory and testing facility built onsite at Gladstone as part of its advanced biofuel pilot plant. (Source: ARENA, PR, 25 July, 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ian Kay, Acting CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, www.arena.gov; Southern Oil Refining, Tim Rose, +61 2 6925 8755, www.sor.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Southern Oil Refining,  Australian Renewable Energy Agency,  Biosolid,  Renewable Fuel,  

ARENA
Date: 2018-05-18
In the Land Down Under, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is reporting the launch of a $7 million funding initiative designed to test and prove how renewable energy technologies can better provide grid stability and security services.

States like South Australia and Victoria have begun ramping up their renewable energy capacity, and grid managers are beginning to focus on integrating energy storage -- i.e. the mammoth Hornsdale Power Reserve, a 129 MWh Tesla lithium-ion energy storage facility in South Australia, which was turned on for the first time towards the end of 2017.

The new $7 million ($5.23 million US) in funding seeks to further develop new technologies that can provide grid stability and security services as well as support projects such as system strength provision, frequency control ancillary services (FCAS), fast frequency response (FFR), inertia provision and measurement, and other services that may enhance system security. The Hornsdale Wind Farm in South Australia was a beneficiary of funding from ARENA to trial frequency control ancillary services (FCAS) (as was the 168 MW Musselroe Wind Farm in Tasmania which is still underway) and is now registered for six of eight FCAS markets in Australia. The project will provide valuable insights into the cost-benefit of using pre-curtailment to provide FCAS services from a new technology source. (Source: ARENA, CleanTechnica, 16 May, 2018) Contact: ARENA, Ian Kay, Acting CEO, +61 2 6243 7773, arena@arena.gov.au, http://arena.gov.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News ARENA,  Renewable Energy,  

Zen Ecosystems,Clean Energy Finance
Date: 2018-04-30
A company that has developed a "smart thermostat" to allow businesses and homes to remotely control and reduce their energy consumption has received a In the Land Down Under, Zen Ecosystems -- which has developed intelligent energy management solutions that could save Australian businesses as much as 25 pct on their energy consumption -- reports receipt of $5 million (AUS) in equity funding from the Clean Energy Finance Corporation's (CEFC) innovation fund. The funds will be used to help the company expand their product roll-out in Australia and the US where they have already gained a foothold.

Zen Eco Systems' two main products are Zen Thermostat that allows homes to remotely control and reduce their energy consumption, and the Zen HQ, a low-cost cloud-based platform for smaller businesses trying to manage energy-intensive assets across single and multiple sites.

Zen Eco Systems is one of 10 companies working on a demand response trail with the Australian Energy Market Operator and Australian Renewable Energy Agency. As part of the project, Zen Ecosystems will deploy a network of connected, smart thermostats in commercial buildings and households in Victoria and South Australia. The network can then be controlled to reduce energy consumption when called upon by AEMO. (Source: Zen Ecosystems, Financial Review, 29 April, 2018) Contact: Zen Ecosystems, James McPhail, CEO, info@zenecosystems.com, www.zenecosystems.com; Clean Energy Finance, info@cefc.com.au; www.cefc.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Zen Ecosystems,  Smart Thermostat,  Clean Energy Finance,  

Genex Power
Date: 2018-04-06
In the Land Down Under, Sydney-based Genex Power is exploring the option of building a new 150 MW wind farm alongside its Kidston pumped hydro and solar project in North Queensland, If constructed, the $1 billion Kidston renewable hub will be the first pumped hydro/solar/wind project in the world. The $300 million 250-MW pumped hydro project has been likened to a giant battery which will have a 1500 MWh storage capacity.

Genex will conduct a feasibility study on the new wind farm proposal -- which is expected to come in at $300 million -- while it is targeting financial close for the second solar project and pumped hydro by the end of the year. The $115 million 50 MW wind farm is presently operating under-pinned by a 20 year Queensland government PPA.

Genex has received almost $8.9 million from the federal government's Australian Renewable Energy Agency for the first 50 megawatt solar project at Kidston and a further $9 million towards the pumped hydro and second solar stage of the project. The company has also applied to funding from the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility. (Source: Genex Power, Financial Review, 5 April, 2018) Contact: Genex Power Lid., www.genexpower.com.au

More Low-Carbon Energy News Genex Power,  Soilar,  Energy Storage,  Pumped Hydro Energy STorage ,