New Transformer in Works for Australia’s Most Powerful Battery, but Return to Full Service Pushed Out Again
Akaysha Energy disclosed that the Waratah Super Battery’s primary transformer suffered a significant internal fault in October 2025, rupturing its tank wall. The 850 MW, 1680 MWh facility will operate at roughly half capacity—about 350 MW—through most of 2026 while a replacement transformer is manufactured. Delivery of the new unit is slated for the third quarter of 2026, with all three transformers expected to be online by year‑end. Despite the setback, the battery continues to provide grid‑stability services for NSW.
Australia’s Biggest Renewable Grid “Stress Test” Facility Gets a $3 Million Upgrade
Australia’s CSIRO Renewable Energy Integration Facility (REIF) received a $3 million federal upgrade, doubling its power‑testing capacity. The enhanced lab now emulates microgrids, grid faults, and vehicle‑to‑grid scenarios, allowing realistic stress‑tests of solar, battery, wind and EV technologies. Operated from Newcastle,...
Minutes vs Megawatt-Hours: What Changes when Weather Forecasting Becomes a Form of Infrastructure?
The article argues that in solar‑heavy power systems, weather forecasting has evolved from a niche service into a core piece of grid infrastructure. Five‑minute market settlements expose how minutes, not just megawatt‑hours, dictate price volatility and system stability. Fast, accurate...
New Battery Made “Exclusively” For Homes Launches Onto Red-Hot Australian Market
Energy‑LIB, a China‑based firm, has launched the LIB HomeStack battery and inverter in Australia, positioning it as the first system built exclusively for residential use. The stackable units come in 16 kWh, 32 kWh and 48 kWh capacities, operate at under 25 decibels and...
Local Developer Pitches Gigawatt-Hour Big Battery to Help Perth Quit Coal
Western Australian developer RE Developments has lodged a $500 million proposal for a 250 MW/1 GWh battery at Baldavis, south of Perth. The project is one of 18 storage installations planned along the 330 kV transmission corridor linking Collie’s energy hub to the city. It...
HMC Says “Fantastic” Wind, Solar and Battery Assets Can Rival Real Estate as the Fund’s Biggest Earner
HMC Capital’s Energy Transition Fund, after buying Neoen’s Victorian renewable assets and battery developer Stor‑Energy, secured a KKR commitment of up to $603 million, falling short of its $1 billion target and prompting a 16% share decline. CEO David Di Pilla defended the...
Contested Tasmania Wind Project Secures Federal Green Tick After Six-Plus Years in EPBC Queue
Ark Energy’s St Patricks Plains wind farm in Central Tasmania has secured federal EPBC approval after more than six years in the assessment queue. The 300 MW project, now approved with conditions, will proceed to construction in early 2027 and aim for...
Developer Dumps 166-Turbine Wind Project Proposed for Queensland’s Whitsunday Region
Renewable Energy Partners (REP) has cancelled its 900 MW Proserpine wind project in Queensland’s Whitsunday region, which would have featured 166 turbines and a 100 MW, four‑hour battery. The development had reached the penultimate stage of federal EPBC assessment but was stalled...
Coal Miner Cops “Substantial Penalty” For Polluting Blue Mountains Waterways
The New South Wales EPA has ordered Centennial Coal to pay $815,000 after the company discharged untreated, metal‑laden water into the Wollangambe River near the Blue Mountains World Heritage Area. The penalty includes a $543,500 court fine, $185,000 in investigation costs...
Fortescue’s Green Iron Bet in a €300 per Tonne Iron World
Fortescue Metals Group is moving its low‑temperature, hydrogen‑free electrochemical iron process from the laboratory to a pilot plant in the Pilbara. The technology reduces iron ore directly in an alkaline slurry using electricity, allowing continuous production of metallic iron from...
State’s 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program Hits 139 Installs, 23 MWh of Storage
Victoria’s Labor government’s 100 Neighbourhood Batteries Program has now installed 139 battery units, delivering 23 MWh of storage across 60 local government areas. The latest installation at Truganina Community Centre will save roughly $20,000 annually for the facility. The rollout supports...
Locals Launch Last-Ditch Legal Challenge in Bid to Stop Marinus Link
North‑west Tasmanian residents, organized as Tas Power Democracy, have lodged a last‑minute appeal with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal to overturn planning permits for the Heybridge converter and switching stations that form the on‑land segment of the $5 billion Marinus...
Investment Giant Snaps up 1 GW Solar and Battery Portfolio of Retreating Oil Supermajor
Aula Energy, the Macquarie‑backed renewables arm, has purchased Lightsource bp’s 1 GW solar and storage portfolio in Australia, adding five operational PV farms with options for up to 800 MW of co‑located batteries. The assets span New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, giving...
Australia’s Biggest Publicly Owned Wind Farm Gets Federal Green Tick to Go Ahead in Queensland
Australia’s largest publicly owned wind farm, the 436.5 MW Tarong West project, has secured federal environmental approval under the EPBC Act. Fully owned by Queensland‑government generator Stanwell Corp after a $776 million state commitment, the scheme will feature 97 Vestas turbines across...
Energy Insiders Podcast: How Industry, AI and Data Centres Are Reshaping Demand
GridBeyond CEO Michael Phelan explains how AI‑driven orchestration of industrial loads and data‑centre consumption, combined with battery storage, can reveal gigawatts of hidden flexibility for Australia’s power grid. The podcast outlines the technical mechanisms that enable real‑time demand shaping and...
Australian Home Battery Upstart Banks “Strategic Investment” Towards Manufacturing Plans
Perth‑based Magellan Power has secured a A$15 million minority investment from Viburnum Funds, marking its first private‑equity backing. The capital will fund the local production of its Karri residential battery and the rollout of 100 kW‑1 MW community storage units at its Bibra...
AI + Energy: Monster Child of Origin and Facebook – or a Smart, Decentralised Grid?
Luis Gonzalez, chief data and AI officer at Aboitiz Power, argues that the data industry will become the primary driver of the energy transition by using AI to finance and operate renewable assets. He envisions a future where computation is...
Transmission “Legacy:” State Launches CopperString Community Benefits Fund
Queensland’s Liberal‑National government announced a $50 million Community Benefits Fund to support housing, water and infrastructure projects along the CopperString transmission corridor. The fund includes $4.285 million for Flinders Substation‑related works and $1 million for water‑sewer design, complementing a $2.4 billion budget allocation for...
Brisbane Battery Innovator Gets First Chunk of Funds Towards Giga-Scale Production Plans
Li‑S Energy, a Brisbane‑based battery innovator, has received the first $1.9 million tranche of a $7.86 million grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA). The funding will support engineering work and a feasibility study for a gigawatt‑scale factory capable of producing...
Developer Drops Coal Country Solar and Battery Plans in Face of Mounting Local Opposition
Elgin Energy, backed by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, has abandoned its planned 90 MW solar farm and equal‑capacity battery storage at Mitchells Flat, NSW, after intense local opposition. The project, slated for 177,000 panels on low‑quality agricultural land, faced community pushback over...
NSW Announces Extra Tender for More Firmed Renewables Capacity to Fill Looming Coal Gap
New South Wales announced an additional firmed generation tender to address projected capacity shortfalls as coal plants retire. The state already completed six LTESA and REZ tenders, with Tender 6 delivering a landmark 300 MW battery project. Tender 7, launched in October, seeks...
Records Tumble as Nine Wind and Solar Projects, 1 GW of Batteries Join Grid in Just Three Months
Australia set new renewable records in Q4 2025, adding 2.1 GW of wind and solar capacity and 1 GW of battery storage. The Clean Energy Council reports that renewables supplied 51% of NEM electricity and peaked at 77% during January heatwaves. By...
Energy Transition Delivers Fresh Growth for BHP, but Decarbonisation Stays on the Back-Burner
BHP’s half‑year report highlighted renewable energy and battery projects, yet mentioned decarbonisation fewer times. Copper revenue now accounts for 51% of underlying EBITDA, driven by soaring copper and iron‑ore prices. The miner projects data‑centre copper demand could reach 3 million tonnes...
Locally Developed Solar-Battery Project with Four Hours of Storage Joins NSW Planning Pipeline
Mint Renewables, a Melbourne‑based developer, has launched community engagement for its proposed Magpie Hill solar farm and battery in New South Wales. The project envisions a 360 MW solar array on roughly 750 hectares paired with a four‑hour, 1,440 MWh battery energy...
Transgrid Seeks $1.1 Billion in Extra Transmission Costs for Interstate Interconnector
Transgrid has asked the Australian Energy Regulator to recover about $1.1 billion of a $1.5 billion cost overrun on the EnergyConnect transmission project, bringing the total project cost to $4.1 billion. The company argues that, after accounting for an estimated $964 million net benefit...
First Stage of Australia’s Second-Biggest Battery Starts Commercial Operations in the Sunshine State
The 260 MW/619 MWh first stage of Quinbrook’s Supernode battery in Brisbane has entered commercial operation under a tolling agreement with Origin Energy. The project is part of a phased build‑out that will reach 780 MW and 3,074 MWh by 2027, positioning it as...
How Queensland Coal Plant Waste Is Helping to Build a (Concrete) Bridge to Renewables
CS Energy, Queensland’s state‑owned generator, has incorporated fly ash from the Callide coal plant into the concrete for the new 80‑metre Yellow Creek Bridge. The bridge will carry turbine components weighing over 100 tonnes to the 285 MW Lotus Creek Wind Farm,...
Trump’s New-Look EPA: The Environmental Pollution Agency
In February 2026 the Trump administration announced the rescission of the 2009 Obama‑era endangerment finding, effectively stripping the EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse‑gas emissions. The move eliminates most federal limits on pollutants from vehicles, power plants and heavy...
Major Capital Raise Seeks $450 Million to “Lead New Zealand’s Renewable Energy Future”
Contact Energy announced a NZ$525 million equity raise to fund its Contact31+ renewable strategy. The capital will back projects including the 200 MW Glenbrook Battery 2.0, the 150 MW Glorit solar farm, and expansion of the Tauhara 2 geothermal plant. In H1 2026 the company...
Solar-Battery Hybrid and CIS Winner Gets Super Quick Federal Green Tick
The Corop solar‑battery hybrid in central northern Victoria has cleared the EPBC Act assessment in just four months, receiving a “not a controlled action” verdict. The two‑stage project will deliver 440 MW of solar generation and a 290 MW/704 MWh battery, with the...
State LNP Promises “Strict New Audits” Of Solar and Wind, Barnaby Promises a Big New Coal Plant
The Victorian Liberal–National coalition proposes strict independent audits and economic impact assessments for new solar, wind and battery projects, aiming to protect prime farmland and give farmers a voice through restored VCAT appeal rights. This policy emerges as Victoria lagged...
Can Inverter-Based Technologies Do the System Security Job of Big Spinning Machines?
The article examines whether inverter‑based technologies can replace traditional spinning machines in providing power‑system security. It highlights AEMO’s 2025 Transition Plan, which calls for new services from synchronous condensers and advanced inverters, and references a white paper from the NSW...
Carbon Price No Longer “Electoral Kryptonite,” Survey Finds
A Redbridge Group poll of 3,000 Australians finds broad support for a pollution levy on the nation’s 100 biggest emitters, cutting across party lines. Labor supporters show 83% net approval while coalition voters register 33% net approval, with only One...
Energy Insiders Podcast: Why Batteries Are Getting Bigger and Marrying Solar
The Energy Insiders podcast featured Sam Reynolds, head of Octopus Australia, outlining plans to construct the country’s largest battery and the rise of solar‑battery hybrid projects. He explained how falling storage costs and grid‑balancing needs are driving batteries to scale...
The Little Battery that Could Pave the Way for Ageing Coal Generators to Be Shut Down on Schedule
Australia’s renewable rollout hinges on grid‑forming inverters, a technology that can mimic the inertia and fault‑current support traditionally supplied by large synchronous condensers. Early results from the 25‑50 MW Darlington Point battery, built with these inverters, show it can stabilise frequency...
Australia’s Home Battery Boom Risks Locking Households Into Closed Ecosystems
Australia’s home battery market has surged past 210,000 installations, spurred by the federal Cheaper Home Batteries scheme. Tech entrepreneur Simon Hackett warns that most of these systems are locked to proprietary software, preventing third‑party control. The scheme only requires VPP‑readiness,...
Coal Giant’s First Gigawatt-Scale Battery Charges up, Guided by some In-House Algorithms
AGL Energy has begun charging and discharging its first gigawatt‑scale battery, the 500 MW/1,000 MWh Liddell project located beside the de‑commissioned Liddell coal plant. The battery will be commissioned in two 250 MW/500 MWh stages, with the first expected within two months and the...
Australia’s Clean Energy Transition Has Been Powered by People. Solar for Renters Is the Next Chapter
Australia’s clean‑energy push, highlighted by the Cheaper Home Batteries Program, has driven rapid rooftop solar adoption, yet renters—over one‑third of households—remain excluded. Solar Citizens and a coalition of 72 groups have campaigned for a solar‑for‑renters framework, testing public consensus through...
