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.

Related article: AVESS rebrands, reveals five-hour vanadium flow battery

Unicoh ESS Co Ltd will invest AUD$10.2 million to build a 500-tonne vanadium electrolyte sulfate manufacturing plant on a 24,235sqm site in South Korea’s Yeongil Port Industrial Complex Foreign Investment Zone.

The manufacturing plant is expected to create more than 60 direct jobs in Pohang City. The company is expected to invest AUD$4 million in Unicoh ESS Co Ltd to provide general working capital while strengthening its positioning in the global VFB market.

AVESS is now expected to pursue vanadium offtake opportunities with local vanadium developers to enhance Australia’s vanadium value chain.

AVESS Energy managing director Young Yu said, “The creation of Unicoh ESS and the signing of this vanadium electrolyte manufacturing MoU strengthens AVESS’ capabilities and positioning in the global vanadium electrolyte market, as we edge closer towards Australian-made vanadium batteries.

“Unicoh ESS comes at an exciting time as we synergise decades of complementary capabilities and expertise across the electrolyte space, while this MoU is another demonstration of our readiness to locally manufacture commercial-scale VFBs.”

Related article: Vanadium electrolyte manufacturing facility opens in WA

The global vanadium electrolyte market size is projected to be worth US$126.3 million (2023) and is expected to reach US$537.8 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 23% between 2023 and 2030.

The post AVESS to build vanadium flow battery plant in South Korea 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.

It was revealed the Brady Heywood investigative report cost approximately $10 million while CS Energy’s legal fees cost taxpayers approximately $38 million.

Related article: Forensic report blames CS Energy for Callide C explosion

At the same time, company executives were paid a staggering $300,000 in bonuses.

The Brady Heywood investigative report into the catastrophic explosion at  Callide C power station in May 2021 found CS Energy failed to implement “effective process safety practices” at the facility.

CS Energy commissioned Dr Sean Brady of forensic engineering firm Brady Heywood to review the underlying cause of the 2021 explosion that resulted in major damage to Unit C4, which remains offline.

There were no fatalities, but the incident destroyed Unit C4’s turbine generator and destabilised the Queensland power grid. The explosion initiated a cascading failure of nine major generator units across the state, which caused almost half a million Queensland customers to lose power.

Queensland Energy Minister Mick de Brenni was questioned about bonuses at the Budget Estimates meeting.

Related article: Callide C return-to-service date pushed back again

“I had a general dissatisfaction with board and the chief,” he said.

“The remuneration of government-owned corporation staff is entirely a matter for the board.”

The post Callide explosion cost taxpayers nearly $50 million 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.

Enel Green Power Australia CEO Werther Esposito said, “We’re pleased to proactively collaborate with Elecsome in planning for any future instances where PV panel upcycling may be required across our portfolio of solar assets.

Related article: Report: Better solar recycling needed to deal with PV waste

“We’re committed to circular economy principles across our portfolio and recognize Elecsome’s innovative approach and capability as one of Australia’s first solar panel ‘upcycling’ plants.”

ElecSome founder and CEO Neeraj Das said, “We are thrilled to have signed this Framework Agreement for PV panel upcycling with Enel Green Power Australia, which is one of the first companies in Australia to take the initiative of signing a long-term agreement to responsibly recycle end-of-life PV panels. We appreciate their environmentally friendly approach towards net zero and circular economy initiatives.”

Enel Green Power Australia has been proactive in sustainability efforts, particularly in the area of recycling solar PV panels. The company promotes a circular economy approach to PV panel lifecycle management which involves consideration of the design of PV panels for durability, to enable efficient upcycling at the end of life, transforming them to valuable materials.

The #collaboration between Enel Green Power Australia and ElecSome aims to promote the importance of recycling PV panels and boost sustainable energy practices more broadly.

Related article: AGL studies solar recycling, cable manufacturing for Hunter

ElecSome is working with government bodies, councils and other institutions for a reasonable gate fee per solar panel, providing some incentives to encourage companies for upcycling and fostering a circular economy approach.

Approximately 1.4 million solar panels will reach their end-of-life in 2025 across Australia. The estimated waste generated due to non-usable PV panels is projected to be 145,000 tonnes a year by 2030 in Australia.

The post ElecSome inks solar upcycling deal with Enel Green Power appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

In a study published in Nature Chemistry, researchers unravel the scientific understanding of what happens when light particles split—a process called singlet fission—and its underlying workings.

Lead researcher Professor Tim Schmidt from UNSW Sydney’s School of Chemistry has studied singlet fission for more than a decade. He says the process could be invoked and applied to improve existing silicon solar cell technologies.

“Today’s solar cells work by absorbing photons which are then sucked away to the electrodes to do the work,” Prof Schmidt says.

“But as part of this process, a lot of this light is lost as heat. Which is why solar panels don’t run at full efficiency.”

Related article: Research breakthrough could lead to ‘self-healing’ solar cells

Pushing the limits

Almost all photovoltaic solar panels on the market today are made from silicon. Co-author Professor Ned Ekins-Daukes from UNSW’s School of Photovoltaics & Renewable Energy Engineering says although the technology is now cheap, it is also nearing its fundamental limits in terms of performance.

“The efficiency of a solar panel represents the fraction of energy supplied by the sun that can be converted into electricity,” Prof Ekins-Daukes says.

“The highest efficiency was set earlier this year by our industrial collaborator, LONGi. They demonstrated a 27.3% efficient silicon solar cell. The absolute limit is 29.4%,” he says.

Prof Schmidt says scientists are still trying to understand how the molecular process of singlet fission worked. Specifically, how does one become two? He says the process is complex and detailed.

“Our study addresses the route of this process. And we used magnetic fields for the interrogation. The magnetic fields manipulate the wavelengths of emitted light to reveal the way that singlet fission occurs. And that hasn’t been done before.”

Working smarter, not harder

Different colours of light have photons with different energies. Prof Schmidt says it doesn’t matter what the incoming energy of the light is—it will always supply the same energy to the cell, and any excess energy gets turned into heat.

“So, if you absorb a red photon then there’s a bit of heat,” he explains.

“With blue photons, there’s lots of heat. There is a limit on efficiency for solar cells.”

He says a paradigm shift is needed to allow silicon cells to achieve a greater potential.

“Introducing singlet fission into a silicon solar panel will increase its efficiency,” Prof Ekins-Daukes says.

“This enables a molecular layer to supply additional current to the panel.”

The process breaks the photon into two smaller energy chunks. These can then be used individually. This ensures more of the higher energy part of the spectrum is being used—not lost as heat.

Related article: CSIRO achieves record efficiency for printed solar cells

Investing in the future

Last year, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) selected UNSW’s singlet fission project for their Ultra Low Cost Solar program. The program aims to develop technologies capable of achieving greater than 30 per cent efficiency at a cost below 30 cents per watt by 2030.

The team used a single wavelength laser to excite the singlet fission material. Then they used an electromagnet to apply magnetic fields—which reduced the speed of the singlet fission process, making it easier to observe.

“From this firm scientific understanding of singlet fission, we can now make a prototype of an improved silicon solar cell and then work with our industrial partners to commercialise the technology,” Prof Ekins-Daukes says.

“We’re confident we can get silicon solar cells to an efficiency above 30%,” Prof Schmidt says.

The post Singlet fission could supercharge next-gen solar cells appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: Soil turned at Fortescue’s Arizona Hydrogen project

The company intends to bring its metals and green energy businesses back together after they were separated last year amid an exodus of senior executives.

Fortescue recently announced it would reduce its global workforce and was unlikely to meet 2030 targets for green hydrogen production.

Despite market analysts suggesting Fortescue was slowing down its hydrogen developments, the company said it would initially focus on four green hydrogen projects in Australia, the United States, Norway and Brazil.

Fortescue plans to boost capital expenditures at its energy division to $500 million—up from initial forecasts of $300 million.

Related article: Fortescue to develop green hydrogen, ammonia in Morocco

Shares in Fortescue fell by 2.7%, outpacing smaller losses among other Australian miners, with the price of iron ore dropping below $100/tonne.

The post Fortescue to boost energy investment despite job cuts appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Through the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC), the investment will create hundreds of new jobs and see the power grid upgraded and expanded across the Territory, supporting major transmission projects and bolstering grid strength.

Related article: Boosting batteries and renewables in the Northern Territory

The Rewiring the Nation investment will also accelerate the rollout of transmission projects across the Territory with the first wave of these to be completed before 2030.

The deal includes an agreement to deploy community-scale solar, rooftop solar and clean energy technologies throughout the Territory. This will provide up to $500 in energy cost savings per year for consumers locked out of installing their own rooftop solar, like hardship customers, renters and apartment dwellers.

Projects financed under this agreement will contribute to the energy mix across the Territory by increasing amounts of renewable generation such as solar and wind and reducing reliance on power generation from fossil fuels.

In addition to priority projects supporting the Darwin-Katherine Interconnected System (DKIS), there is potential for projects in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek to also receive support as part of the decarbonisation of the NT’s energy system.

Northern Territory Minister for Energy and Renewables Kate Worden said, “Investing in battery technology ensures Territorians will have reliable power supply as we move to integrate more renewable energy into our electricity grid.

Related article: Rio Tinto to build two solar farms in the Northern Territory

“We can make these investments because the Territory Government owns our assets like Power and Water, Territory Generation and Jacana.

“Because we own our assets, we can keep the cost of power low. We also subside the power bill of every Territory household by $1,500 a year through the Community Service Obligation.”

The post $250M investment to supercharge renewables in the NT appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The draft determination also extends beyond VPPs to include community batteries, flexible large loads, and other price-responsive small resources such as such as back-up generators.

AEMC chair Anna Collyer said, “By integrating VPPs and similar resources, we’re not just enhancing market efficiency; we’re empowering consumers and paving the way for a more sustainable energy future.”

Related article: Project EDGE shows big impact of small-scale resources

Currently, there is no mechanism for the market to predict how these resources will respond to daily price fluctuations.

This gap in market knowledge creates significant operational challenges for the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and could lead to costly system operations.

“Fully integrating these resources will allow energy, security, and reliability services to be provided more efficiently,” Collyer said.

“Over time, this integration will reduce the need for large scale generation and storage infrastructure, ultimately decreasing costs and emissions for all consumers.”

Recent modelling indicates that VPP market participation could result in cost savings of $834 million between 2027 and 2050, benefiting all customers through more efficient market operation. This underscores the critical importance of encouraging VPP participation.

The AEMC is calling on governments to recognise these resources officially. Once they participate in dispatch, they will be as technically capable as any other generator and should be eligible for schemes such as the Capacity Investment Scheme.

To encourage broad participation, the draft determination includes a mechanism to provide payments to early entrants. However, recognising that a mechanism in the rules may not be the ideal fit, the AEMC is also calling on the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to consider a trial grant program for early entrants.

Collyer said the reform wasn’t just about integrating new technology but also about rethinking our approach to energy generation and distribution.

“By incentivising early participants, we’re accelerating the transition to a more responsive, efficient, and sustainable energy market,” she said.

The draft determination also addresses the current gap in the market knowledge regarding the impact these resources are having on operational forecasting. Under the proposal, AEMO and the Australian Energy Regulator would have new monitoring and reporting functions to provide additional transparency.

Related article: Community housing tenants invited to join Tesla VPP in SA

“By making price-responsive behaviour visible, we’re allowing the market to operate more efficiently. It’s like giving the system a pair of glasses—suddenly, it can see and respond to consumer actions that were previously invisible,” Collyer said.

“This improved visibility will lead to more efficient generation use, lower system costs, and potentially reduced energy prices for all consumers. It’s a win-win that doesn’t require changing behaviour, just smarter market operation.”

Stakeholders may provide feedback on the draft determination until September 12, with a final determination expected by the end of the year.

The post Proposal could see VPPs competing with big generators appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

Related article: Capacity Investment Scheme supercharged to 32GW

The WEM is separate to the National Electricity Market (NEM) and operates with a unique Reserve Capacity Mechanism (RCM). Tender 2 closely aligns with the RCM process and aims to deliver a pipeline of quality, bankable projects for inclusion in the mechanism.

This tender aims to deliver 500MW of 4-hour equivalent (or 2,000MWh) of clean dispatchable capacity. This will help support our energy system to reach 82% renewables by 2030.

Projects must be located in Western Australia; connect to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS); have a minimum storage duration of 2 hours; and have a minimum registered capacity of 30MW.

Following the successful June completion of the Stage A bids for CIS Tender 1, seeking generation capacity in the NEM, AEMO Services will administer the CIS tender 2 process on behalf of the Australian Government.

The Australian Government will run CIS tenders every 12 months for the WEM and every 6 months for the NEM until 2027.

Through the CIS, the government will seek competitive tender bids for renewable capacity and clean dispatchable capacity projects to deliver an additional 32GW of capacity by 2030 and deliver the Australian Government’s 82% renewable electricity by 2030 target.

Related article: Western Australia gets $3b funding for grid expansion

Project bids will close in mid-August and announcement of successful bids is expected in early 2025. Read the tender guidelines and submit a project bid here.

The post WA’s second Capacity Investment Scheme tender opens appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.

The extent to which renewables should dominate Australia’s energy grids is a major issue in science and politics. Solar and wind are clearly now the cheapest form of electricity. But limits to these technologies can undermine the case for a renewables-only electricity mix.

The challenges posed by solar and wind generators are real. They are inherently variable, producing electricity only when the sun is shining and the wind is blowing. To ensure reliable energy supplies, grids dominated by renewables need “firming” capacity: back-up technology that can supply electricity on demand.

Some, including the Albanese government, argue gas-fired generators are needed to fill the gap. Others, such as the Coalition, say renewables can’t “keep the lights on” at all and Australia should pursue nuclear energy instead.

But a new way to firm up the world’s electricity grids is fast developing: sodium-ion batteries. This emerging energy storage technology could be a game-changer—enabling our grids to run on 100% renewables.

Related article: Sodium ion batteries could be a game-changer

Sodium-ion batteries: pros and cons

Energy storage collects excess energy generated by renewables, stores it then releases it on demand, to help ensure a reliable supply. Such facilities provide either short or long-term (more than 100 hours) storage.

At present, lithium-ion batteries are the primary storage technology but are best for short-term storage. Sodium-ion batteries are now almost ready to fill the long-term storage gap.
As the name suggests, sodium-ion batteries contain sodium (symbol Na), an element found in salt. The technology involves the movement of sodium ions between positive and negative poles, which creates a charge.

The technology used in sodium-ion batteries is similar to that of lithium-ion batteries. In fact, as others have noted, factories currently producing lithium batteries could easily and cheaply move to sodium batteries.

And sodium is a far more abundant material than lithium, and potentially cheaper to extract.

Some types of lithium mining require a lot of water and energy and have led to local pollution, such as in South America’s alpine lakes. The pollution issues are far fewer, however, in Australian hard-rock lithium.

The recycling and disposal of lithium batteries is challenging—though much easier than recycling carbon from fossil fuels.

In terms of performance, sodium batteries hold their charge for much longer than lithium batteries.

But as with any technology, sodium-ion batteries present challenges. Sodium ions are bigger and heavier than lithium ions. This means the batteries are less energy-dense than their lithium counterparts, and so require more space and material to store the same amount of charge.

This is improving, however. According to one analysis, the energy density of sodium-based batteries in 2022 was equal to that of lower-end lithium-ion batteries a decade earlier.
And ongoing research and development means their energy-density continues to increase.

Getting to market

As with all promising technologies, a key question for sodium-ion batteries is when they might become widely commercialised.

To answer that, we may look to recent analysis based on a method developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It suggests sodium-ion batteries are becoming increasingly competitive on cost – and so may enter the global market as early as 2027.

The analysis suggested sodium-ion batteries would soon match the cost of using gas-fired power as a firming energy source.

Similarly, an assessment by the United States energy department in September last year found sodium-ion batteries are “expected to adopt a significant market share by 2030”.

It said the technology could become a competitive replacement for lead-acid or lithium-iron phosphate batteries in both small-scale vehicle electrification and “behind-the-meter” applications such as backing up home solar panel systems.

The analysis found current and planned manufacturing of sodium-ion batteries was concentrated in China and Europe, and several large battery producers were “projecting large-scale manufacturing facilities in the near future”.

They include Chinese electric motor vehicle company BYD, which has reportedly started constructing a sodium-ion battery facility in Xuzhou.

In Australia, United Kingdom-based battery company Faradion installed small stationary modules in Victoria’s Yarra Valley in 2022.

Related article: Swedes spruik ‘best-in-class’ 160Wh/kg sodium-ion battery

Keeping our options open

A recent plan by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) suggests coal-fired power will be phased out by 2035. But the plan suggests a significant amount of gas will remain in the grid.

The AEMO analysis did not look at the potential for long-duration energy storage to compete with gas. However, the development of technologies such as sodium-ion batteries suggests we should question AEMO’s assumed need for gas in future.

Disruptive innovations grow quickly and exponentially. We need only look to the annual growth rates for existing clean energy technologies such as solar (29%), wind (14%), electric vehicles (54%) and battery storage (52%).

The Climate Change Authority is currently assessing Australia’s potential technology transition and emission pathways as we head towards net-zero emissions by 2050. Within the review’s scope is to examine which technologies may be deployed in each sector to support emissions reductions.

The potential of sodium-ion batteries suggests policies put forward by the authority should not lock in polluting options for the electricity sector, such as gas-fired power. Cleaner alternatives are likely to be commercial in a few years—and the stability of our climate depends on planning for them.

Disclosure statement: Peter Newman received funding from the Australian Government to attend IPCC author meetings over the past 15 years.

Republished from The Conversation under Creative Commons

The post Sodium-ion batteries to spark renewable energy revolution appeared first on Energy Source & Distribution.