Analysis

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Carbon Capture Storage – A viable option for Australia’s future?

Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) is increasingly being seen as a vital piece to our emissions reduction puzzle, with governments and industry seeing it as viable way to reach Net Zero. Australia currently has 18 CCS projects at various stages of progress, with only one operational - Chevron’s Gorgon Gas Plant in Western Australia, which has been plagued with problems since the start. We take a deep dive into CCS and whether it can be a feasible option for the future.

BY Tom Monaghan May 30 2024

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A peek at community attitudes and awareness towards the energy transition

Recent surveys from KPMG, SEC Newgate and the CSIRO have all provided good insights into the community’s attitude to the changes underway in the grid and the way we generate electricity. They also highlight the level of knowledge of what this involves as well as how overall views on the speed of the transition are being influenced by factors like cost-of-living pressures. We take a look at what they found.

BY Tom Monaghan May 16 2024

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National Energy Performance Strategy: What’s In it?

On 5 April, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water released the National Energy Performance Strategy. The strategy is intended to provide a long-term framework to manage energy demand, “so our community can enjoy the economy, climate and health benefits of improved energy performance”. It also designed to contribute to Australia meeting its legislated emissions reduction and renewable energy targets. We take a look at what is included in the strategy.

BY Tom Monaghan Apr 18 2024

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How to make the transition to EVs: Inquiry looks for answers

The House of Representatives Standing Committee on Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water is expected to inquire into and report on the transition to electric vehicles (EVs) and has been taking public submissions to inform its considerations. For transport, electrification is the obvious solution to assist this sector begin to decarbonise. Part of the inquiry’s focus is on the issues related to the supply and sale of electricity for EVs and EV integration more broadly. We take a look.

BY David Markham Mar 28 2024

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Embedded networks, regulation and energy innovation: Is IPART on the right track?

The NSW Independent Pricing and Regulatory Tribunal (IPART) has undertaken a review of embedded networks and is grappling with how best to set prices to reach its objectives to incentivise customers and embedded network sellers to supply and use energy efficiently as well as enabling the efficient use of energy and encouraging sustainable energy solutions and accommodating innovation and investment in the energy sector. Not a simple task. Are they on the right track? We take a look.

BY David Markham Feb 15 2024

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Expanded National CIS: What are the pros and cons?

The expanded Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) announced last week aims to bring forward 32GW of generation investment - 9GW dispatchable capacity and 23GW variable renewable capacity - with the costs of the scheme funded by the Federal Government. It can be expected to encourage new capacity which will represent a significant injection of renewables into a grid with ongoing system constraints so does not come without some risks. We take a look at some of the pros and cons.

BY David Feeney Nov 30 2023

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Some highs and lows: Investor sentiment

Some of the challenges being thrown up by the energy transition, in particular around approvals, capacity and supply chain constraints, skilled labour shortages and government interventions are being reflected in the latest assessment of investor sentiment towards the sector. We take a look.

BY Carl Kitchen Nov 23 2023

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Data centres: A 24hr power source?

Data centres play a critical role in enabling the storage and processing of vast amounts of online data. However they are also known for their significant energy consumption, which has raised concerns about their environmental impact and operating costs. But can data centres be fully sustainable, or even a source of power?

BY Australian Energy Council Oct 12 2023

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Storage across the NEM

In a speech in March this year, AEMC Commissioner Tim Jordan stated “…By AEMO’s current calculations, outlined in the ISP, 61 GW of storage capacity is needed by 2050 under the Step Change scenario. That’s 17 times current levels.” Federal and state governments have announced various policies to stimulate battery investment, but challenges to their development are starting to emerge. Here we take a look at current proposals for storage across the NEM and their implications.

BY Australian Energy Council Sep 28 2023

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GenCost verdict: Onshore wind and solar remain lowest cost generation

The latest GenCost report has again highlighted that solar and onshore wind remain the lowest cost new build generation available. This remains the case even when integration costs are factored in. The report also quantifies the cost of global supply chain constraints which have impacted the raw material costs for manufacturing, as well as the transport costs involved in getting new generation installed. Those constraints have led to an estimated average 20 per cent increase in technology costs compared to a year ago. Read more to see the forecast costs of different generation technologies.

BY Carl Kitchen Jul 27 2023

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Energy storage assessment: Where are we now?

A new report from the CSIRO has highlighted the major challenge ahead in having sufficient energy storage available in coming decades to support the National Electricity Market (NEM) as dispatchable plant leaves the grid. The roadmap also provides a useful insight into the current maturity level of energy storage technologies, using the commercial readiness index (CRI), as well as a technical readiness level (TRL) framework. We take a look at what they found.

BY Carl Kitchen Jun 08 2023

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OSM RIP

After three years of work on the Operational Security Mechanism (OSM) rule change and reaching a Draft Determination last October, the Australian Energy Market Commission (AEMC) changed course last week with a guidance note that appears to call the whole thing off. The OSM was to be a mechanism by which the market operator could start assets that provide Essential System Services (ESS) to secure the power system. An automated tool that was meant to make it simple. So, what’s changed and where we are now? we take a look.

BY Ben Skinner Jun 01 2023

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Critical minerals, clean energy and a US compact

Last weekend the US and Australia entered a Climate, Critical Minerals and Clean Energy Transformation Compact. Prior to that the Federal Government announced funding to help progress development of local processing capabilities for critical minerals and more is expected to emerge when the Federal Government’s critical minerals strategy is released in coming weeks. It all highlights the growing importance of critical minerals in the clean energy transition and how best to develop Australia’s reserves. We consider the key drivers and recent developments.

BY Carl Kitchen May 25 2023

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New report on management of large-scale battery hazards

The energy industry’s transition to lower emissions is resulting in companies’ health, safety and environment focus shifting from conventional generation to large-scale batteries. To assist the industry’s reskilling, the Australian Energy Council engaged GHD Engineering Consultants to provide an introduction to large-scale battery hazards. Today we release their report.

BY Australian Energy Council Mar 30 2023

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Coal exits: What’s in store for batteries?

Increasing periods of negative pricing and low operational demand driven by renewables complicates the economics of coal plant. As coal plants exit the grid, they will be replaced by renewables supported by batteries, pumped hydro, and gas generation. Storage - battery and pumped hydro - will play an increasingly important role.

BY Australian Energy Council Feb 24 2022

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Hot topic: Victoria’s big battery

It has been a remarkable year for the number of significant incidents in NEM supply. Recently a fire at Victoria’s “big battery” began just after 10am on Friday 30 July, and investigations are being undertaken. The results will be closely watched not just locally, but internationally.

BY Carl Kitchen Aug 19 2021

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Victoria’s big battery: What exactly is it for?

Announced with great fanfare on 5 November, the Victorian Big Battery may not win any prizes for imaginative naming, but it’s an intriguing project for a host of reasons.

BY Allan O'Neil for AEC Nov 26 2020

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Batteries going with the flow

Australia is one of the fastest growing energy storage markets in the world with the most mature storage technologies being pumped hydro and lithium-ion batteries . But other technologies have been developing in the background - such as flow batteries, which provide opportunities in larger scale applications.

BY Justine Lovell Jun 25 2019

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Storage: Retirement home for old EV batteries?

The global shift from petroleum-fuelled to electric vehicles has flagged an “urgency” in finding ways to reuse or recycle retired EV batteries .

BY Justine Lovell May 23 2019

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SA’s big battery: A look at its performance

South Australia’s “big” battery, the 100MW 130MWh Hornsdale Power Reserve, has attracted significant attention as one of the largest installed globally to date. It offers useful insights on the capabilities of the technology to support the grid. Independent energy consultant Allan O’Neil has looked at the contribution of the battery to grid security when a large generating unit tripped[i], and how the system overall responded to this event.

BY Allan O'Neil & Carl Kitchen Apr 20 2018

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