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The Guardian
6 days ago
- Business
- The Guardian
Investment in big batteries booms as Australia's energy transition gathers pace
Investment in big batteries hit $2.4bn in the first three months of 2025, making it the second strongest quarter for energy storage on record in Australia. The latest data from the Clean Energy Council found six new storage projects – totalling 1.5 gigawatts capacity – reached financial close (the financial commitment that means the project is likely to be built) and a level of investment last seen in the final quarter of 2023 with a record $2.8bn. The largest was the four-hour Wooreen battery system in Victoria, at 350MW, which was supported by the federal government's capacity investment scheme. Three large-scale battery systems in South Australia, one in Queensland and one in New South Wales also reached financial close. Renewable energy had a slower start to the year, with two solar farms – totalling 386MW and $410m investment – reaching financial close. A quieter first quarter was typical, the CEC said, with investment ramping up throughout the year. Sign up to get climate and environment editor Adam Morton's Clear Air column as a free newsletter 'Over the past five years, new investment commitments in the first quarter of the year have averaged 427MW, compared to a Q4 average of 1,153MW over the same period,' it said. By the end of March, 82 renewable energy projects had either reached financial commitment or were under construction, representing 12GW of capacity. The strong result for storage in the first quarter followed Australia's biggest yearfor clean energy investment in 2024, in which rooftop solar installations on homes and businesses raced past 4m, the CEC's annual snapshot found. Investment in large-scale renewable energy hit $9bn, a 500% increase on 2023. This combined with investment in energy storage to deliver the nation's highest clean energy investment on record at $12.7bn. The CEC's chief policy and impact officer, Arron Wood, said political certainty would continue to help drive the 'eye-watering' levels of private sector investmentneeded for the government to meet its target of 82% renewable energy by 2030. 'The target is ambitious, but it's achievable,' Wood said. 'With the election behind us, inflation easing and strong industry participation in the Capacity Investment Scheme, the early signs suggest we can expect to see private sector investment in both renewable power generation and battery storage projects continue to increase as the year progresses.' Renewable energy provided 40% of Australia's total electricity generation in 2024, up from 39.4% in 2023. The CEC report said an additional 6GW from wind and solar farms would be needed annually by 2030 to replace retiring coal generation. 'The Clean Energy Australia report has a lot of really good news in it,' Wood said, adding that it showed investment flowed with the right policy settings and continuity. 'The willingness to build Australia's energy transition is there. But that's not something where you can just set and forget.' Sign up to Clear Air Australia Adam Morton brings you incisive analysis about the politics and impact of the climate crisis after newsletter promotion New transmission lines were critical to maintaining the pace, along with connecting projects to the grid as quickly and efficiently as possible, Wood said. Working with communities to build support for the transitionand maximise local benefits was also important. The director of Clean Energy Finance, Tim Buckley, said there was cause for optimism but maintaining the pace of investment and developmentrequired much quicker approvals, construction and commissioning. 'We need to get speed and scale way beyond current rates, particularly with extended delays to grid connection,' he said. 'There is great momentum, and more to do,' said Anna Skarbek, the chief executive of Climateworks Centre. She said the electricity transition was tracking well in terms of replacing fossil fuels with renewable power. 'We know that to achieve a prosperous economy, in a fully decarbonised global economy, when all sectors are net zero – that actually will use a lot more electricity than what we use today,' she said. Reaching the government's legislated target of net zero by 2050 would mean at least a doubling in electricity demand as other sectors including transport, mining and industry sought to cut their emissions. 'We know that Australia has the capacity to do that,' Skarbek said. 'Australia does have very large-scale potential to use renewable energy in its heavy industry sectors, and that's a really important contribution to global trade. And also we have world-class solar penetration at what's considered small scale or distributed energy in households.'
West Australian
6 days ago
- Business
- West Australian
Clean energy, environment unity ticket on nature laws
Environment groups and the clean energy industry have found common ground on long-awaited nature law reforms, joining forces to urge the federal government to hurry up and finish the job. The unprecedented alliance between the Clean Energy Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and others is bound by the shared belief that existing environmental protections are failing both biodiversity and the energy transition. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-shape the law to tackle Australia's climate and nature crises," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said. The federal laws designed to kick in when renewable energy, mines and development threaten vulnerable species and other "matters of national environmental significance" are widely considered ineffective and in need of overhaul. The federal government has promised reform but failed to complete the task in its first three-year term. In the meantime, existing regulations have failed to stop projects destroying critical habitat at the same time as cumbersome environmental assessments have delayed the clean energy rollout. Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive Richie Merzian said the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was the number one concern for renewable energy investors and developers. Projects were taking nearly twice as long to secure approval and the assessment backlog was growing, Mr Merzian told AAP. "We want to see faster yeses and faster nos," he said. The alliance, which also includes the Electrical Trades Union, Re-Alliance, WWF Australia and Biodiversity Council, agree on key pieces of environmental reform including legally-enforceable standards to prevent subjective ministerial decision-making. Setting up an independent "cop on the beat" Environmental Protection Agency was also backed by the coalition, as well as more resources for departments to keep projects moving through the process. Better planning should further help solar and wind developers identify "regions we should and shouldn't be working in". Mr Merzian said the "nature versus climate" narrative was false. "We can and should be doing both," he said. Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said delayed environmental assessments were making it hard to train workers for future jobs. "The uncertainty of the assessment process means there is no reliable pipeline of work for communities or to train apprentices on anywhere close to the scale we need," he said. New environment minister Murray Watt has already indicated that legislating a federal environment watchdog will be one of the top priorities for the returned government. It's not been the only pressing matter competing for his attention, with the minister opting to greenlight Woodside's proposal to extend its North West Shelf project in Western Australia after years of delays. The expansion has been granted commonwealth go-ahead despite concerns about its emissions burden and impact on sacred rock art.
Perth Now
6 days ago
- Business
- Perth Now
Clean energy, environment unity ticket on nature laws
Environment groups and the clean energy industry have found common ground on long-awaited nature law reforms, joining forces to urge the federal government to hurry up and finish the job. The unprecedented alliance between the Clean Energy Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, Australian Marine Conservation Society and others is bound by the shared belief that existing environmental protections are failing both biodiversity and the energy transition. "We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-shape the law to tackle Australia's climate and nature crises," Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive Kelly O'Shanassy said. The federal laws designed to kick in when renewable energy, mines and development threaten vulnerable species and other "matters of national environmental significance" are widely considered ineffective and in need of overhaul. The federal government has promised reform but failed to complete the task in its first three-year term. In the meantime, existing regulations have failed to stop projects destroying critical habitat at the same time as cumbersome environmental assessments have delayed the clean energy rollout. Clean Energy Investor Group chief executive Richie Merzian said the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act was the number one concern for renewable energy investors and developers. Projects were taking nearly twice as long to secure approval and the assessment backlog was growing, Mr Merzian told AAP. "We want to see faster yeses and faster nos," he said. The alliance, which also includes the Electrical Trades Union, Re-Alliance, WWF Australia and Biodiversity Council, agree on key pieces of environmental reform including legally-enforceable standards to prevent subjective ministerial decision-making. Setting up an independent "cop on the beat" Environmental Protection Agency was also backed by the coalition, as well as more resources for departments to keep projects moving through the process. Better planning should further help solar and wind developers identify "regions we should and shouldn't be working in". Mr Merzian said the "nature versus climate" narrative was false. "We can and should be doing both," he said. Electrical Trades Union national secretary Michael Wright said delayed environmental assessments were making it hard to train workers for future jobs. "The uncertainty of the assessment process means there is no reliable pipeline of work for communities or to train apprentices on anywhere close to the scale we need," he said. New environment minister Murray Watt has already indicated that legislating a federal environment watchdog will be one of the top priorities for the returned government. It's not been the only pressing matter competing for his attention, with the minister opting to greenlight Woodside's proposal to extend its North West Shelf project in Western Australia after years of delays. The expansion has been granted commonwealth go-ahead despite concerns about its emissions burden and impact on sacred rock art.
Associated Press
25-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Offshore wind could contribute more than $40 billion to Australia's GDP between 2027 and 2040
It's estimated that offshore wind in the country could support more than 23GW of output, which could supply more than 20 million homes with renewable energy. PERTH, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA, May 25, 2025 / / -- Offshore wind energy will play a very important role in Australia's future. On the one hand, due to the need to replace more polluting sources of energy generation in line with the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) initiative launched by the Australian government to facilitate the energy transition, but also from an economic point of view, since the commitment to the construction of offshore wind farms could mean a contribution of more than $40 billion to the country's GDP between 2027 and 2040, according to forecasts made by the Clean Energy Council. Although there are still no offshore wind farms under construction -as opposed to the 90 onshore wind farms already in operation in the country-, 12 feasibility licenses were granted last year in the Gippsland region (Victoria), the most favorable region for the installation of this type of infrastructure -along with Newcastle, in New South Wales and Gladstone, in Queensland-, as a step prior to the start of the installation works. However, the inadequacy of the country's port infrastructures to meet the necessary requirements for loading and unloading materials onto barges and the marshaling of wind turbine components -jackets, transition pieces and turbines- continues to be one of the main obstacles to the proper development of these wind farms. In this regard, Sarens, world leader in heavy lifting, engineered transport and crane rental services, is calling on public and private entities in the country to make a firm commitment to the renovation of port infrastructures, providing them with the necessary facilities to carry out the loading and unloading of materials in the necessary conditions of safety and efficiency. With two offices in Australia (in Brisbane, Queensland and Perth, Western Australia), Sarens has a technical staff highly specialized in the tasks required for the installation of offshore wind farms in any of the coasts of the country, with the necessary capacity to advise its clients to identify their needs in terms of machinery and transport solutions, as well as in the necessary modifications and adaptations to be carried out in the points where the projects are developed. In addition to having a complete fleet of local machinery, Sarens has different alternatives spread around the world that can be mobilized at any time to meet any requirement of its customers, regardless of the complexity or the load that needs to be moved. Offshore wind energy is expected to be a major source of job creation in the expansion areas, with more than 8,000 new jobs per year from 2030 onwards, with more than 19,000 jobs created in peak construction and more than 7,000 in the operation of the farms. Once all the farms planned for the next few years are operational, it is estimated that more than 23 GW of production will be contributed to the national energy system, which could supply renewable energy to more than 20 million homes, according to PWC's forecasts in its report 'Australia's pathway to energy transition is blowing in the wind'. Sarens has extensive international experience in the assembly and maintenance of wind farms. It has participated in various installations in France such as Fécamp, Saint Nazaire, Provence Grand Large and in the lifting and transport work for the foundation bases of the new offshore wind farm in Saint Brieuc, located off the Brittany coast. During this project, Sarens successfully transported loads weighing over 1150 tons. More recently, Sarens has been actively involved in the reception and loading operations of monopiles and transition pieces for 176 turbines for the Coastal Virginia Offshore wind farm in the US and the marshalling and installation of 62 monopiles in the Moray West offshore wind farm, each weighing up to 2000 tons, the largest and heaviest XXL monopiles ever to be handled in the UK. Sarens LeanFactor Team LeanFactor Global Communication [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
ABC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Wind farm neighbour payments offered to ease community tension
Wind farm developers are offering multi-million-dollar payments to neighbours of their projects in a bid to ease tensions over who benefits. The gap between those who make money from hosting the turbines and those who do not has divided communities and fuelled opposition. But as Australia's 2030 renewable energy targets inspire a wave of controversial regional projects, companies like Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest's Windlab are for the first time exploring directly paying those who live nearby, but do not host, turbines. Advocates say it will reduce the divide between the "haves and have-nots," but others say there is "a long way to go" to address the challenge of coexistence properly. About 450 kilometres north-west of Brisbane, the small town of Wandoan is watching closely as the proposed 1.4-gigawatt Bungaban Wind Farm on its outskirts awaits federal government approval. Windlab, which is majority-owned by Nicola and Andrew 'Twiggy' Forrest's Squadron Energy, estimates the $3.9 billion project could power the equivalent of 860,000 homes. The company is offering neighbours an initial $10,000-$40,000 upon signing, $30,000-$150,000 at construction start, and annual payments of $10,000-$75,000 for up to 35 years, based on proximity to the planned 204 turbines. By comparison, the Clean Energy Council (CEC), which advocates for renewable energy, estimates the average landholder hosting turbines can earn about $40,000 per turbine annually. Windlab's senior community manager Elliot Willemsen-Bell said the payments would not restrict the recipients' right to voice concerns or oppose the project. "[We only ask] if landholders have a concern … they give us a reasonable chance to fix the problem before they escalate it, whether it be through formal complaints or other means," he said. It is a first for the company, but Mr Willemsen-Bell did not say if the model would expand to other sites. "It's got to be specific to the area and specific to that community and those landholders," he said. Queensland Renewable Energy Council chief executive Katie-Anne Mulder said the approach was particularly important in higher-density population areas. About 150km west of Wandoan, the Maranoa region's very first large-scale renewables project is also exploring neighbour payments while it awaits federal approval. WestWind Energy is offering neighbours of its Bottle Tree Energy Park near Roma between $1,000 and $5,000 per year, with no non-disclosure agreements or restrictions on objections. The company's head of development Shane Quinnell said the benefits needed to be shared more broadly. "It's a reality that if we're going to develop and build wind farms, we need to acknowledge there is this visual impact on the landscape and that people do feel differently," he said. Payments to non-hosts have evolved since the nation's first wind farm was built in Salmon Beach, Western Australia, in 1987. By 2001, projects such as Codrington Wind Farm in Victoria were offering "community benefit funds," a pool of money available for not-for-profit groups to support events and facilities. Among the first to propose direct payments to neighbours was TrustPower Australia, which in 2013 offered $2,000 per year to properties within 2km of the Palmer Wind Farm in South Australia though the payments were conditional. "If they're happy to support the wind farm or not object to it and not to do things on their land to interfere then we're happy to pay them," chief executive Rodney Ahern said at the time. After decades of revisions, the project was approved in February 2025. The CEC and lobby group Farmers for Climate Action estimate that over the next 25 years, large-scale wind and solar projects will pay landholders between $7.7 billion and $9.7 billion, compared to contributions to regional communities and councils of about $1.9 billion. According to the Australian Energy Infrastructure Commissioner, which handles complaints about the industry, communities are pushing for a bigger share — one that recognises the impact on amenity, community engagement, natural environment, noise and economic loss they experience. CEC spokesperson Chris O'Keefe said most companies had adopted voluntary standards for community engagement and compensation. "The more they do that, the more success we'll have with this transition," he said. While the standards are voluntary across most local and state governments, Queensland has moved to make them more binding, but stopped short of mandating neighbour payments. Introduced in May, the legislation requires major renewable programs to enter into binding community benefit agreements, which can include neighbour payments, with councils before they can lodge a development application. It does not set out how much those payments should be. Queensland farmer lobby group AgForce welcomed the legislation, but chief executive Michael Guerin said more needed to be done to address concerns around noise, setback distances and compensation for neighbours. "There's a long way to go [and] further reform is required that recognises that coexistence has impacts on all of community."
