South Australian households to take to smart energy appliances Five hundred South Australian households are set to go energy-smart in a new project announced by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and electricity distributor SA Power Networks. ARENA is providing $6.2 million to SA Power Networks’ $13.8 million ‘Energy Masters’ project. The project will see…
Biofuels are one of Australia’s biggest industrial and environmental opportunities. Today in our editorial series – Towards 3% R&D – Turbocharging Australia’s Innovation Effort – Geoff Bell looks at what is needed to make promise a reality. Australia, with its extensive demand for air travel and rich natural resources like biomass, solar and wind, is…
Consultation opened on Tuesday morning on the design of the federal government’s Solar Sunshot program, announced late last month. Sunshot is budgeted at $1 billion. It was announced on March 28 by prime minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to NSW Hunter Valley, which has a strong heritage in coal mining, pledging to “invest in…
Iron ore miners Fortescue and Roy Hill have joined with steelmaker Liberty and university partners in new projects from the Heavy Industry Low Carbon Transition CRC (HILT CRC) which are funded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. The projects in ARENA’s recent Iron and Steel R&D Round will develop technology to upgrade iron ore quality…
Vast Renewables has executed engineering contracts to complete Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) on its VS1 Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Plant (CSP) project. The New York listed company executed key engineering contracts with Afry, FYFE, Primero and Worley to complete FEED on the Construction of 288 MWh CSP power plant to be built at Port Augusta,…
The University of Wollongong (UOW) has shared details of a new project with industry partner BlueScope Steel for lower-emission steelmaking, which was announced on Wednesday morning as securing $2 million in funding through an Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) grant round. According to a statement from the university, the project will investigate ways to utilise…
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has announced $59.1 million in funding supporting 21 R&D and commercialisation projects involving renewable hydrogen and low emission iron and steel. According to a statement from the federal government’s ARENA on Wednesday, the funding supports research teams “from some of Australia’s top universities, research organisations, startups and companies.” The…
Silicon energy storage company 1414 Degrees has signed a term sheet that will see its Aurora Energy Precinct at Port Augusta in South Australia access the ElectraNet 275kV Hill-to-Hill power line connecting to the National Electricity Market. The company’s 50 percent owned joint venture with Vast Renewables, SiliconAurora Pty Ltd signed a term sheet with…
Governments and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency are backing trials of two energy-dense battery types not seen on electric vehicles to test the feasibility of battery micro-grids to supply those living in off-grid communities. With $2.85 million each from ARENA and the Western Australian government, regional energy provider Horizon Power will pilot two battery technologies…
Energy infrastructure company Lochard Energy has been awarded a $2 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to support a $6.3 million feasibility study involving hydrogen-based long duration energy storage in Victoria’s Otway Basin. In a statement on Friday, ARENA said the study represents the second stage of Lochard’s H2RESTORE project, which aims…
