Energy Magazine June 2024

ISSUE 26 ·

June 2024

·

www.energymagazine.com.au

Meet David Gillespie, Jemena’s new Managing Director

Consumers key

to redesigning the energy system

Recycling end-of-life

wind infrastructure

EDITOR'S WELCOME

EDITOR’S

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Prime Creative Media ABN: 51 127 239 212 379 Docklands Drive Melbourne VIC 3008 Australia P: (03) 9690 8766 www.primecreativemedia.com.au enquiries@primecreative.com.au ISSN: 2203-2797

Editor Katie Livingston Assistant Editor Steph Barker Journalists Tess Macallan Kody Cook Sarah MacNamara Art Director Alejandro Molano Designers Danielle Harris Jacqueline Buckmaster National Media Executives Rima Munafo Brett Thompson Ryan Sheehan Marketing Manager Radhika Sud Marketing Associates Bella Predika Georgia Rogers Digital Marketing Assistant Emily Gray Publisher Sarah Baker Managing Editor Laura Harvey

WELCOME

A

s we approach the end of the 2023–24 financial year, the 2030 deadline seems to loom larger than ever before. However, the energy sector continues to show incredible strength and innovation in the face of challenge, and it’s fantastic to see experts from all sides of the industry work together to deliver a net zero future for Australia.

In this June 2024 issue of Energy Magazine, we take a look at some of the initiatives the sector is undertaking to tackle the mammoth task of transitioning the NEM to renewables, while managing predicted gas shortfall, and ensuring that the grid remains secure.

New renewable generation, storage and transmission infrastructure are at the forefront of this transition, and this issue covers some of the latest updates on these major projects, including Territory Generation’s Darwin-Katherine BESS. We also take a deep dive into Queensland’s Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap, which details how the state plans to roll out renewable energy infrastructure across 12 proposed renewable energy zones.

This edition also offers an indepth look at a new report by the Australian Energy Council, which identifed and assessed the challenges and roadblocks that were preventing renewable energy projects from proceeding in the state.

While today’s priority is the commission and construction of renewable generation project, the question for tomorrow is what will become of this infrastructure once it reaches its end-of-life? We examine some potential solutions for reusing and recycling ageing wind turbines and how the industry can manage the decommissioning process effectively.

Consumers are central to not just the transition, but to the energy sector as whole. In this issue, we cover the Victorian Essential Services Commission’s Energy Market Report, which looks at the price of electricity in Victoria, the actions consumers can take to save on their electricity bills and how retailers can support households experiencing in payment difficulty.

We also hear from some key figures in the energy sector, including Jemena’s new Managing Director, David Gillespie, who discussed some of the major work that the utility has in the pipeline for 2024; Paul Hodgson, who was recently appointed the Director of Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energies at CQUniversity; and Carl Binning – the Executive General Manager Scheme Operations Division for the Clean Energy Regulator – on how we can safeguarding Australia’s carbon market for future expansion.

We hope you enjoy this issue of Energy Magazine, as always,if you have any topics, projects technologies or challenges that you want to see us cover in future issues, I’d love to hear from you.

Katie Livingston Editor

If you have a story idea, tip or feedback regarding Energy, I’d love to hear it.

Drop me a line at katherine.livingston@primecreative.com.au, and don’t forget to follow us on social media – find us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

This document has been produced to international environmental management standard ISO14001 by a certified green printing company.

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Energy Magazine acknowledges Aboriginal Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and pays respect to their cultures and Elders past and present.

June 2024 ISSUE 26

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CONTENTS

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28

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

INFRASTRUCTURE

12 Safe and reliable energy solutions for Australia

28 Decarbonising construction with circular economy principles

14 Shining a light on the future: a pathway for delivering on Ultra Low Cost Solar

30 A system-wide approach to reliability and energy savings

16 Preparing our network for the future with Jemena’s new Managing Director

32 Thermal imaging cameras for substation monitoring

Appointed Managing Director of Jemena in late 2023, after 17 years with the business, David Gillespie’s wealth of leadership experience and long history in the industry made him an obvious choice for the role.

18 Safeguarding Australia’s carbon market for future expansion The market trading of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) continues to gain momentum following the Australian Government’s Safeguard Mechanism reforms. The role ACCUs will play in helping Australia’s largest emitting facilities to cut their net greenhouse gas emissions will be crucial to helping Australia reach its emissions reduction targets while supporting business through the transition to greener operations.

34 Territory Generation unveils second Darwin-Katherine BESS In July 2020, the Northern Territory Government released the Northern Territory Climate Change Response: Towards 2050 report, which laid out the impacts of climate change in the Territory and detailed the government’s plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To establish the foundations required to deliver this goal of an enduring and effective climate change response, the Territory Government introduced the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan.

38 Accelerating Queensland’s renewable energy future: the REZ Roadmap

20 Transmission tailback: identifying challenges to generation development in WA

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42

WIND

JOBS, TRAINING AND SAFETY

24 Decommissioning by design: reusing and recycling wind farm infrastructure

42 New hydrogen director a breadth of energy

Wind power is essential to achieving net zero in Australia, but as the industry grows and existing infrastructure starts to age, there is a need to further examine what can be done with wind turbines once they are ready to be retired.

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CQUniversity has recently appointed Paul Hodgson as it new Director of Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energies.

Here, the new Director shares his vision to cultivate world-class expertise and support the industry as we transition towards hydrogen and clean energy.

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CONTENTS

44

EACH ISSUE

WASTE TO ENERGY 44 Hydrogen generator powering sustainability in construction With the drive toward carbon neutrality becoming increasingly prevalent in Australia, it's critical for utilities to be on the lookout for technologies that can keep their operations as sustainable as possible. As part of an ongoing effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Sydney Water is powering the construction of a major infrastructure project with hydrogen..

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Editor’s Welcome

64 Features Schedule 64 Advertisers’ Index

NEWS

48 CONSUMERS AND RETAIL 48 Usage vs price: Victorian energy market report examines the balance 52 Participants, not recipients: consumers hold the key to Australia’s renewable power

4 ARENA announces $1B Solar Sunshot program 5

AUS first hydrogen electrolyser manufacturing facility opens

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Retired NSW coal industry site to become pumped hydro project

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Construction to begin on 2GW Supernode BESS

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Milestone for VIC waste-to-energy facility

56 A new phase: the changing landscape of energy tariffs

60 ASSET MANAGEMENT

10 Fed Gov unveils WA electricity capacity investment scheme 11

Variable speed drives: cutting edge technology built on a legacy of experience

60 Minimising bushfire risk through trusted partnerships Following Victoria’s devastating 2009 bushfires, 45 substations in the highest bushfire risk areas in the state were mandated to install Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) technology.

This included electricity lines originating from Jemena’s Coolaroo Zone Substation. To undertake these significant works, Jemena partnered with Zinfra, a service provider they could trust to get the job done.

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June 2024 ISSUE 26

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NEWS

ARENA ANNOUNCES

$1B SOLAR SUNSHOT PROGRAM

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he Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) is set to establish its Solar Sunshot program thanks to a $1 billion funding commitment.

The Federal Government announced the establishment of the program, designed to help unlock domestic solar photovoltaic (PV) manufacturing across the entire supply chain and grow solar PV manufacturing in Australia,.

The program will be delivered by ARENA, with development and design to be done in collaboration with the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW).

ARENA CEO, Darren Miller, said, “ARENA has been at the forefront of building Australia’s solar PV industry through its support for research, innovation and large-scale deployment.

This has helped solar to become our cheapest form of energy.

“We’re pleased to see the Federal Government recognise ARENA’s wealth of experience and close relationships with industry by calling on us to deliver the Solar Sunshot program.

“To date, ARENA has invested more than $830 million towards 233 solar PV projects. We are ready to take on the next step alongside others in the solar industry to create a domestic solar manufacturing industry,” Mr Miller said.

Solar Sunshot is intended to provide support across the solar PV supply chain, including the scaling up of module manufacturing capabilities and exploration of other areas of the supply chain where grant funding can help kickstart the industry.

This could include polysilicon, ingots and wafers, cells, module assembly, and other parts of the solar supply chain, including solar glass, advanced deployment technology, or other aspects

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June 2024 ISSUE 26

Image: Kampan/Shutterstock.com

identified through industry consultation.

ARENA funded the Australian Photovoltaic Institute’s (APVI) Silicon to Solar Report to investigate solar manufacturing capability and potential in Australia. The report outlined a credible pathway for a domestic supply chain that could result in benefits such as securing access to solar PV components as Australia significantly scales up deployment of solar PV, creating local jobs, attracting significant private investment and unlocking potential export opportunities.

ARENA and DCCEEW said they will publish a consultation paper outlining proposed specifications for the program, including objectives, funding mechanisms, timings, and draft eligibility and merit criteria.

“Australia has the opportunity to build high quality products across the solar PV supply chain. Although we have a very small production capability today, we have the skills and the partnerships to establish a strong base that can be built on over the next decade,” Mr Miller said.

“To unlock our renewable energy superpower vision, we need to be able to play a part in the whole supply chain, while also working with international partners and leveraging learnings as we build our own capability to complement the global market.

“We’ll be consulting widely with industry and other stakeholders to hear their views and inform what will be a transformative scale up of Australia’s solar PV manufacturing capacity.”

Following the consultation period, ARENA and DCCEEW will develop the final program design.

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NEWS

AUS FIRST HYDROGEN ELECTROLYSER MANUFACTURING FACILITY OPENS

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ortescue has officially opened the Gladstone Electrolyser Facility – the first manufacturing facility in Australia to build hydrogen electrolysers at a commercial scale – alongside the announcement of approvals for the next stage to commence.

This major hydrogen industry manufacturing project is the first stage of a wider Green Energy Manufacturing Centre being developed by Fortescue on the 100ha site located on the Aldoga Industrial Estate in the Gladstone State Development Area.

It has an initial production capacity of over 2GW per annum – significantly increasing current global production, and, at full capacity, enough to produce more than 200,000t of green hydrogen each year.

The next phase – a 50MW green hydrogen production facility called PEM50 – also received development approval from Queensland’s Coordinator General, paving the way for construction to begin.

PEM50 will use the locally made Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysers with approval to produce green hydrogen for local and export markets. Once operational it will be the first commercial scale green hydrogen facility for Fortescue.

Collectively, the two Fortescue projects will generate 240 jobs during construction and 93 ongoing local operational jobs.

Fortescue estimates that as the energy precinct continues to develop, more than 300 indirect local jobs will also be supported.

The Queensland Government supported the project through the provision of an electrical substation, road network, communications, and local scheme water connection, as well as the allocation of land.

Queensland Premier, Steven Miles, said that Fortescue’s Gladstone Electrolyser Facility is not only a Queensland first, but also an Australian first.

“It will be by far Australia’s largest manufacturer of hydrogen electrolysers and one of the largest in the world,” Mr Miles said.

“This is why one of my first announcements as Premier was to commit to 75 per cent emissions reduction by 2035 on the path to net zero because it means accelerating investment in good clean economy jobs in our industrial heartlands.

“Queensland is now leading the nation on investment in renewable energy, and we are now seeing that translate into good manufacturing jobs in our regions”.

Queensland Minister for Industry and Science, Ed Husic, said that this demonstrates the government’s commitment to a Future Made in Australia, while also helping the country make the transition to net zero.

“We can cut emissions and increase jobs at the same time,” Mr Husic said.

“Regional Queensland can play an important role here, and we are investing in its ability to do just that.

“This Hydrogen Gigafactory shows what can be achieved when government and industry work together for the long-term good of the country.”

Queensland Deputy Premier, Cameron Dick, said that when Queensland’s regions are strong, Queensland is strong.

“This world-class industrial facility will support good, secure manufacturing jobs in Central Queensland for generations to come,” Mr Dick said.

Image: Industrial Donut Picks/Shutterstock.com

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June 2024 ISSUE 26

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NEWS

RETIRED NSW COAL INDUSTRY SITE TO BECOME PUMPED

HYDRO PROJECT

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EN Energy has proposed a plan to turn degraded coal industry land near Lake Burragorang into a clean energy powerhouse, with the potential to deliver enough on-demand electricity to power 500,000 homes and businesses.

At 1GW, the Western Sydney Pumped Hydro project will be able to store and supply up to eight continuous hours of ‘firming’ energy, essential to stabilise the state’s electricity grid and power prices as it transitions to renewable energy generation.

Located 24km away from Warragamba Dam and drinking water treatment, the project will also be mostly underground, pumping water from Lake Burragorang through tunnels to a reservoir located on the former coal industry land. When demand is high, water is released to drive underground turbines and send renewable power into the electricity grid.

A $1 million per year Community Benefit Scheme is set to be created and the project is expected to generate 1,500 jobs during construction and 80 operations jobs.

Coal was mined from the Burragorang Valley from 1930 to 1992 and the project site was used as a coal washery, operated

by Burragorang Valley Coal, until 2001 and since then has undergone rehabilitation. The Dunbier family, who owned the company, is now partnering with ZEN to turn the site’s fossil fuel past into being part of the state’s clean energy future.

Numerous studies, consultation and co-design with Traditional Owners, local residents and other stakeholders are set to occur.

If all approvals and a social licence are secured, construction could begin in 2027 and be operational by 2031.

Initial studies have established that the project would have no detrimental impact on water quality or cause any change to water levels in Lake Burragorang, including no flooding of the shoreline and surrounding natural environment. This was critical to securing WaterNSW’s approval for ZEN to progress the project.

ZEN CEO, Anthony Garnaut, said that the vast water reserves of Lake Burragorang can supply Sydneysiders with clean drinking water and clean renewable energy as well.

“Large-scale energy storage projects like Western Sydney Pumped Hydro are key to keeping the lights on and energy prices in check in New South Wales as our coal-fired power stations age and retire over the next decade,” Mr Garnaut said.

“Western Sydney Pumped Hydro marks ZEN’s entry into renewable energy development in New South Wales. This is a key milestone for us as we grow and envision a 1.5°C world for all.”

Consultation with key stakeholders, particularly Traditional Owner representatives, has already begun. These will continue as the project evolves and ZEN said that it is seeking to co-design many aspects of the project with local residents.

Image: Phillip Wittke/Shutterstock.com

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INDUSTRIAL POWERTRAIN SOLUTIONS

NEWS

CONSTRUCTION TO BEGIN ON 2GW SUPERNODE BESS

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uinbrook’s Supernode project is set to begin construction, and will become one of Queensland’s largest Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS).

Stage one of the project is the construction of a 250MW/2hr capacity BESS and that will enable the efficient storage of surplus solar and wind energy, aid the displacement of coal and other emissions-intensive generation sources.

Origin Energy has committed to the full capacity of stage one, under a recently completed agreement.

The Supernode project is strategically located near the South Pine electricity substation.

This will be a significant advantage for the 2,000MW BESS. Following stage one, a data storage facility is planned to be added to the site.

Queensland Premier, Steven Miles, said that when the State Government announced this Supernode in 2022, it showed what the future holds for Queensland’s digital and renewables economy and the creation of knowledge-based jobs.

“Since then, we have made massive strides in making Queensland a clean energy powerhouse, anchored by our revolutionary Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan,” Mr Miles said.

“The construction of stage one, here in Brendale, is more evidence that business believes in our vision.

“Renewable energy generation and storage like this will power us towards our 70 per cent renewable energy targets.

Mr Miles said that responsible emissions targets are essential to jobs in existing industries like mining, agriculture, and manufacturing and it's the key to creating more jobs in the new industries of the future, in the south east and right across Queensland.

“Additionally, our $15 million investment in Queensland’s first direct International Broadband Network Cable Landing Station, demonstrated to big business that the Sunshine State is the place to invest.

“We know we have the connection with the world to support new data centres, like the one that will be built here, creating high value jobs that can be powered by renewable energy.”

Quinbrook Co-Founder, David Scaysbrook, said that the successful close of Supernode stage one is significant for Queensland as it delivers valuable large-scale storage at the best possible location in the State’s power grid.

“The South Pine site is a unique and strategic location offering unparalleled power supply access and redundancy and is testament to Quinbrook’s ability to source, fund and develop innovative projects for the benefit of our investors and provide tangible solutions to decarbonise power systems,” Mr Scaysbrook said.

Moreton Bay City Council Mayor, Peter Flannery, said that Quinbrook’s battery storage system will be one of the largest installations in Australia, bringing economic benefits and offering greater energy security to Queenslanders.

“I look forward to seeing the project grow and benefit from Brendale’s already strong business ecosystem and smart city infrastructure.”

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Image: r.classen/Shutterstock.com

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NEWS

MILESTONE FOR VIC WASTE-TO-ENERGY FACILITY

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Featured image: The Wollert food waste to energy facility. Image credit: Yarra Valley Water.

arra Valley Water’s food waste to energy facility has reached a major milestone, having processed over 175,000t of food waste that would have ended up in landfill.

This milestone for the Wollert facility, which was Victoria’s first food waste to energy plant, comes as Yarra Valley Water has started construction on its second, larger facility in Lilydale.

Commercial food waste producers, such as markets or food manufacturers, deliver 33,000t of food waste to the Wollert facility each year.

Yarra Valley Water’s Managing Director, Pat McCafferty, said that innovative food waste to energy facilities divert waste from landfill to create clean, green electricity.

“Food waste to energy facilities not only offer a commercially

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viable alternative for commercial companies to dispose of organic waste, but they also produce renewable energy.

“Our ReWaste facility can generate around 22,000kWh of green electricity a day, enough to power itself, our neighbouring sewage treatment plant and provide excess energy to the grid,” Mr McCafferty said.

Yarra Valley Water’s investment in food waste to energy facilities is expected to help it reach its emissions reduction target a decade early, becoming net zero and using 100 per cent renewable electricity by mid-2025.

“By generating our own renewable energy, we can meet our emissions targets and keep pressure off customer bills.”

ReWaste manages waste supply to the Wollert facility, with waste deliveries accepted from approved suppliers from Monday to Friday.

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NEWS

FED GOV UNVEILS WA ELECTRICITY CAPACITY INVESTMENT SCHEME

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Image: Phillip Watson/Shutterstock.com

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he Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) aims to provide more reliable, renewable energy for households and businesses across the state.

The first Western Australia tender will target 500MW of reliable renewables by storing power that is available to dispatch when needed – enough to power 450,000 homes – subject to consultation and final agreement.

This 500MW round kicks off the national CIS in Western Australia and will be open to applications mid-2024.

The CIS is set to deliver 32GW of new renewable capacity across Australia by 2030, transforming Australia’s energy system to a reliable 82 per cent renewable grid supported by gas, storage and transmission.

The Reliable Renewable plans with states and territories (Renewable Energy Transformation Agreements) are designed to unlock and fast-track investments in individual states, while ensuring a reliable grid.

It is expected that 2.3GW of variable renewables and 1.1GW of dispatchable renewables will be unlocked in Western Australia once the Federal Government and State Government reach final agreement on the Renewable Energy Transformation Agreement, including reliability benchmarks and addressing barriers to new capacity.

The rain doesn’t always fall, but water is stored for when it is needed – and the same strategy applies to the Reliable Renewables plan for clean, cheap, renewable energy.

The Western Australia investment is designed to help boost more affordable, reliable energy as ageing and increasingly unreliable coal-fired power stations close in coming years.

The Federal Government said its energy plan has taken advice from experts like CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to deliver the cleanest, cheapest, and most reliable energy system to meet Australia’s energy needs in coming decades.

The consultation on the Western Australia CIS design paper can be found here, providing information on CIS implementation including target sizes of investment rounds, tender process, proposed underwriting arrangements and merit criteria, including around local industry and employment benefits and First Nations engagement.

Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, said, “We’re getting on with the job of boosting affordable, reliable, renewable power for Western Australians, where and when they need it. That’s exactly what this imminent investment round is all about.

“Families and businesses across Western Australia deserve a plan backed by the experts.”

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SPONSORED EDITORIAL NEWS

VARIABLE SPEED DRIVES:

CUTTING EDGE TECHNOLOGY BUILT ON A LEGACY OF EXPERIENCE Toshiba has been developing and improving its variable speed drive technology since the 1980s. It’s not new technology, this is simply equipment that works and has evolved in line with industry needs to provide mine site owners with reliable, robust motor control to power their operations.

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hen delivering optimal power, control and reliability for mine site machinery, an apt metaphor is that of the katana swordsmith, who has worked their whole life to perfect their art and continues to improve the quality of their skills over time.

For a company like Toshiba, this metaphor works on multiple levels in relation to its variable speed drive (VSD) technology.

Delivering razor-sharp motor control Installed between the electrical supply and motor, VSDs convert inbound power into an ideal voltage, delivering

precise and accurate control, allowing the user to continuously adjust the motor’s speed without losing torque. This is all executed in the microsecond by carefully-crafted algorithms, delivering robust, sophisticated control, reducing shocks, vibration, and combating voltage imbalances and fluctuations that can cause errors.

VSDs are a finely-honed tool Toshiba has been manufacturing VSDs since the 1980s and, with the shift into Industry 4.0, VSDs are now in their seventh generation. Now, they can connect securely to the cloud, acting as the smart sensor that facilitates information flow from the motor to the owner, delivering critical information that empowers the operator to make important

decisions in real-time, helping to optimise savings and maximise yield.

Meeting the needs of modern industry While the VSD itself isn’t new, they continue to evolve as mine technology does. Toshiba will continue to sharpen their skills, keep honing the blade, and deliver cutting edge mine site technology that’s built on a legacy of reliability.

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK SPONSORED EDITORIAL

SAFE AND RELIABLE ENERGY SOLUTIONS FOR AUSTRALIA Bringing safe, reliable and locally tailored energy solutions to communities is integral to the acceleration of the renewable energy transition, and the introduction of Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) energy storage batteries to one Australian distributor marks a significant stride towards achieving this goal.

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&J Batteries has welcomed Australia-based Mictronix Power Systems (MPS) to its array of offerings, addressing the surging demand for advanced energy solutions nationwide.

MPS represents innovation in the renewable energy sector, creating quality Australian-made products. Specialising in off-grid solutions, they ensure affordable power is available to those who need it, no matter how remote.

The new partnership with MPS means R&J Batteries can now offer LiFePO4 energy storage batteries for renewable energy applications, which were previously missing from their product lineup.

Prioritising safety LiFePO4 is widely regarded as one of the safest lithium-ion battery chemistries available. Unlike some other lithium-ion chemistries LiFePO4 batteries have a very stable chemical structure that is resistant to overheating and thermal runaway, which are common causes of battery fires.

Additionally, LiFePO4 batteries are incombustible. This means they will not explode or catch fire, even if they are subject to a short circuit, severe impact or puncture. They are less prone to degradation over time compared to other lithium-ion chemistries.

Given the importance of safety, suitability and reliability when it comes to renewable energy applications, it is imperative that Australian customers have access to solutions that meet these criteria.

Aligned values Justin Skaines, Energy Storage Manager for R&J Batteries, said there was no one size fits all battery solution when it comes to energy storage, with the company focused on offering a range of products that cater to diverse needs.

“This country’s incredibly unique geography, climate and environment create a range of technical challenges for energy storage, which is why R&J Batteries is excited to partner with an Australian company that truly understands the needs of the Australian market.

“By partnering with MPS, we’re not only ticking the box of including a dependable brand of LiFePO4 Energy Storage batteries in R&J Batteries portfolio, but we’re taking the opportunity to work alongside an excellent team who share our commitment to excellence in customer service.”

48V batteries modules installed in a cabinet. Image/R&J Batteries.

A 48V battery module.

Image/R&J Batteries

Anthony Micallef, Director of Mictronix Power Systems (MPS), said MPS’ aim is to make the transition to renewable energy as simple and straightforward as possible, and collaborating with R&J Batteries is the next step in achieving that goal.

“LiFePO4 is one of the safest lithium chemistries on the market, and we’ve taken great care to develop a quality product that meets the unique needs of the Australian climate. R&J Batteries’ distribution network offers an exciting opportunity to get this product out to customers and deliver safe, reliable power to those who need it.

“This partnership also allows us to combine expertise between MPS and R&J Batteries to deliver the highest standard of customer service, and we’re delighted to be working alongside a team who align with our values.”

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK SPONSORED EDITORIAL

SHINING A LIGHT ON THE FUTURE:

A PATHWAY FOR DELIVERING ON ULTRA LOW COST SOLAR

Australia is known for its abundant sunshine, but harnessing this resource efficiently and cost-effectively is an ongoing challenge. We are already a world leader in the rollout of rooftop photovoltaics (PV), but in order to take full advantage of our rich solar resource, we need to reduce the cost of large-scale PV. Doing so will help reach national and international emissions reduction targets, position Australia as an exporter of green energy, and reinvigorate our national manufacturing industry.

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chieving the goal of affordable, efficient, utility-scale PV requires a new approach that goes beyond a traditional manufacturing focus.

In response to this challenge, CSIRO has established a multidisciplinary Ultra Low-Cost Solar (ULCS) initiative, which is taking a whole-of-system approach to

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cost reduction and addressing important industry challenges beyond rooftop solar.

Dr Gregory Wilson, Principal Research Scientist with CSIRO Energy, said that the scope of the ULCS initiative extends well beyond improving solar cell efficiency or producing the lowest cost solar module.

“We’re not just harnessing the power of the sun; we’re harnessing the power of Australian innovation,” Dr Wilson said.

Image: Zhengzaishuru/Shutterstock.com

Expanding the solar value chain The traditional solar value chain, from silica exploration to panel manufacture and recycling, has been the focus of many initiatives in the renewable energy sector. However, the ULCS initiative expands on this chain to include stages related to module and system deployment, and, importantly, the impacts and cost reductions that can be achieved www.energymagazine.com.au

SPONSORED EDITORIAL INDUSTRY OUTLOOK when the scale of deployments reaches into the tens of gigawatts as the energy sector transitions in the decade ahead.

“We’re looking beyond traditional manufacturing and exploring untapped areas like modular system components, enhanced optics, and automated deployment systems,” Dr Wilson said.

“Large-scale systems are built using millions of solar panels and how these come together – in a consistent, standard assembly – can lead to improvements in supply-chain, reduce labour constraints, accessing alternative local materials and flow through as cost reductions.

A ruggedised Australian module, with systems assembled using robotic equipment is one view of the future for the industry in the decade ahead. There is an exciting opportunity to develop novel technologies that respond to Australia’s unique conditions.”

This comprehensive approach, developed in consultation with stakeholders, allows researchers and industry to identify additional opportunities for cost reduction and efficiency improvements. In doing so, the initiative can stimulate economic growth and promote sustainability, while also creating tailored solutions for Australia’s energy transition.

Leveraging Australia’s unique attributes Australia’s sunny reputation has long been celebrated in everything from tourism campaigns to poetry. “I love a sunburnt country, a land of sweeping plains,” wrote Dorothea Mackellar.

We have the highest solar radiation per square metre of any continent, along with unique geotechnical and geophysical attributes. Through the ULCS initiative, CSIRO is working with industry startups to accelerate the growth of PV manufacturing within Australia, enabling low-cost technologies that are appropriate for our unique landscape.

“We’re assessing Australia’s distinctive climate and physical attributes to optimise solar installations. This allows us to maximise efficiency and reduce costs,” Dr Wilson said.

“By strategically leveraging these attributes, we can not only improve the efficiency of solar installations but also contribute to Australia’s energy security by reducing reliance on imported energy sources, materials and components.

“This is particularly important in a world where energy security is increasingly linked to national security and supplementing the global supply chain by sourcing local components, technologies and in-country relevant www.energymagazine.com.au

conditions helps Australia and helps stabilise international supply.”

Embracing the circular economy Sustainability should be at the heart of any initiative in this second-coming of solar, as we approach a global annual production of a terawatt (a trillion watts) of manufactured solar panels.

“We’re thinking about sustainability throughout the whole value chain: from design all the way through to recycling,” Dr Wilson said.

“By embedding circular economy principles into how a solar panel might be better designed, through to the materials and components in deployed systems, we’re ensuring that our initiative is sustainable and contributes positively to the environment.

“This focus on the circular economy is not just about doing the right thing for the environment. It’s also about creating a sustainable business model that can deliver long-term value for Australia.”

Job creation and domestic manufacturing By expanding the solar value chain, a sector-wide ULCS initiative opens up new avenues for domestic manufacturing and supply. This creates jobs and drives economic growth in Australia. It also aligns with the recently announced Solar SunShot Program that aims to boost Australian manufacturing capability, accelerate innovation and create regional jobs.

“Our initiative is about more than solar energy, it’s about creating jobs, boosting our economy, and securing Australia’s energy future,” Dr Wilson said.

This focus on job creation and domestic manufacturing is a key differentiator of the ULCS initiative. It’s about creating a sustainable, homegrown solar industry that complements the existing global supply chain and allows Australia to remain competitive on the global stage.

Implications for Australia’s electricity networks The goals of the ULCS initiative have significant implications for Australia’s electricity networks, particularly those on the east coast managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

By reducing the cost of solar energy, the initiative aims to increase the uptake of solar power, reducing demand on the grid and lowering electricity prices. Meeting the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)’s long-term targets of $0.30/Watt for systems deployment will require more than just advanced panels. It needs poles,

wires and better overall management of energy flows to meet demand.

Increasing the supply of renewable energy during peak sunlight hours could help meet sustainable energy demand in the National Electricity Market (NEM).

When deployed in conjunction with other energy technologies entering the market – including big batteries, smart grids and thermal energy storage – large scale solar installations could reduce reliance on conventional centralised power stations, helping Australia to meet its renewable energy targets.

Opportunities for the resources sector While PV is an economically competitive technology, there remains a cost barrier to fully displacing fossil fuel usage – especially in industrial process sectors. A multidisciplinary approach and established relationships between CSIRO and industry stakeholders mean that the ULCS initiative presents an opportunity to develop large-scale solar so that it can provide a viable power source for mining and resource refining operations, reducing their reliance on fossil fuels as the sector transitions to more sustainable, low-emissions pathways.

Moreover, for remote installations of large-scale solar, these are behind-themeter, which means the network and load-balancing requirements can be managed in a localised environment.

Large-scale solar could further enhance energy security for these operations.

By generating power onsite, these systems can reduce transmission losses, transmission and network infrastructure costs and provide a reliable power supply, even in remote locations.

Looking ahead As Australia strives to reach emissions reduction targets and transitions to a more sustainable economy, initiatives like ULCS will play a crucial role. By harnessing Australia’s world-leading solar resource, we can improve security, enhance sovereign manufacturing, and contribute to the global value chain security through international collaborations and partnerships.

“We are excited about this opportunity to innovate and explore new areas of the solar value chain,” Dr Wilson said.

“Imagine a future where solar energy is not just affordable, but ultra-low-cost.

That’s the future CSIRO is building.”

For more information, visit www.csiro.au/en

June 2024 ISSUE 26

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

PREPARING OUR NETWORK FOR THE FUTURE

WITH JEMENA’S NEW MANAGING DIRECTOR Officially appointed Managing Director of Jemena in late 2023, after 17 years with the business, David Gillespie’s wealth of leadership experience and long history in the industry made him an obvious choice for the role. He sat down with Energy Magazine to discuss the challenges currently facing the sector and the work that Jemena is undertaking to tackle them.

J

emena owns and operates a large and diverse portfolio of energy assets including gas and electricity distribution networks, gas transmission pipelines and gas processing facilities across the eastern coast of Australia and is responsible for connecting millions of homes and businesses to electricity and gas every day.

For almost two decades, David Gillespie has been with the business in various roles, starting in finance and moving up to the CFO position before becoming the Managing Director in December 2023. Prior to joining the team at Jemena, Mr Gillespie worked for Alinta Energy – which later became Jemena and Deloitte.

“I have been in the role a little over nine months now; it has been a busy start to the year and I don’t think it’s going to slow down,” Mr Gillespie said.

“The culture at Jemena is a great one, and I plan to continue and build on that culture to ensure our people are supported in the work they need to achieve.

“Leadership is just that: leading. And you need a team to do that. COVID definitely taught us that as executives and people in leadership roles, that we need to step out from behind the desk and that people have families and homes and things important outside of work and you can’t just put a wall up and say, this is work and this is home.

“We’ve fostered a great culture of supporting our people to lead meaningful lives professionally and personally, and this has not been by accident; I’m very proud of the work we’ve done to set up a framework that encourages all of our people to come to work as their authentic selves.”

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Delivering a safe, affordable and reliable transition The transition to renewables is undoubtedly a hot topic in every corner of the industry, and while having the right conversations are a pivotal part of ensuring the success of this transition, the next and most important step is turning those plans into actions.

“The biggest challenge facing the industry is the transition.

Anyone who is in the industry or adjacent to it knows that delivering on our net zero targets and decarbonising our energy system is the thing on everyone’s lips,” Mr Gillespie said.

“We’ve spent quite a few years, a decade really, talking about the problem. Now we are well and truly on the road to putting those discussions into actions. It's incredibly important work, but what we also need to ensure, particularly as a distributor, is how do we deliver that transition safely, reliably, and at the least cost to the customer. And that’s where the challenge is.

“Jemena is certainly on that journey, along the rest of the energy industry. In some ways, we are leading that journey.

From the installation of community batteries across the network, to ensuring consumer energy resources (CER) such as electric Vehicles (EVs) and solar panels are plugged into the grid in a safe and reliable way to finding new and innovative partnerships with other industries to ensure we are all on the same pathway and helping one another achieve net zero.”

To that aim, Mr Gillespie explains that the introduction of electric vehicles (EVs) is a major focus for Jemena.

“In the electricity system EVs and the introduction of them on our roads is a big focus at Jemena. As they become more commonplace and more families are drawing off the grid to www.energymagazine.com.au

INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

power their cars, Jemena needs to ensure we have enough energy in the system for when it’s needed.

“We spent a lot of last year engaged in trials that helped us better understand how people use their EVs. This year we’ll be focused on working with governments to ensure that we have the right policy settings in place and the flexible services available to ensure people can charge their cars when they need to.

“EVs are just one piece of the puzzle and we are also exploring things like community batteries, and taking steps to ensure our network can handle increases in things like rooftop solar. At the same time, we need to ensure that our customers are at the heart of all of these changes, that their needs, preferences, and vision for the future inform the work we do. To this end, we will continue to spend a lot of time engaging with and listening to our customers – particularly as we start developing our future pricing and services plans,” Mr Gillespie said.

Forging ahead with renewable gas Decarbonising the grid and reducing carbon emissions are also key focuses for Jemena when it comes to meeting net zero goals. Investment in renewable gas is pivotal to achieving these targets, and Mr Gillespie is proud to share that Jemena is leading the way in this area, particularly in biomethane production.

“The Malabar Biomethane Injection Plant is co-located next to Sydney Water's Malabar Water Resource Recovery Facility.

Jemena has partnered with Sydney Water to create basically a circular economy where biogas is produced from organic waste at the Resource Recovery Facility and turned into biomethane.

“At the facility about 95 terajoules of energy is produced annually which is the equivalent of 6,300 household’s yearly energy needs. By repurposing waste that otherwise would end up being emitted into the atmosphere, we can create a product which can be used in the same way natural gas currently is.

“In addition, participating in Channel 10’s MasterChef has been a real opportunity to demonstrate how renewable gas, in particular biomethane can be used in a very practical and tangible way.

“It’s been a great undertaking between the entire industry including AGIG, TasGas, ATCO, the team at the Malabar site who had to get the biomethane to Melbourne. It was a real group effort. And as a result biomethane is being used in the MasterChef Kitchen that has come from the Malabar Biomethene Plant. This means viewers at home can see that renewable gas is here, it’s ready and it looks and works just like natural gas,” Mr Gillespie said.

What’s in the pipeline for Jemena?

Gas shortfall is also a pressing issue for all utilities and their communities, and Victoria has been flagged as particularly high risk for shortages in the near future.

“Last month we announced the reversal of the Eastern Gas Pipeline, which could see up to 300TJ/d of gas being sent south from New South Wales into Victoria. Given forecast gas shortages in Victoria, this is an innovative solution designed to ensure customers in Victoria have access to the natural gas during winter when they really need it,” Mr Gillespie said.

“We will also be finalising our pricing and services plans for our electricity and gas distribution networks in Victoria and New South Wales respectively, before submitting the plans to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER) for review and endorsement.

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Image: Jemena

“We’ve spent the best part of 18 months developing the plans in consultation with our customers across our electricity and gas networks. Their feedback has proven crucial in shaping things like how much we invest in new energy services, such as renewable gas, as well as how we best navigate the transition while keeping energy affordable and reliable.”

On the electricity front, Mr Gillespie explains that Jemena is continuing to prepare its network for the future, and that how customers use the electricity grid is continuing to evolve.

“For our residential customers this means ensuring we’re prepared for things like an increase in rooftop solar installations and greater uptake of electric vehicles. For our large customers this means working collaboratively to ensure we’re designing bespoke solutions that meet their needs,” Mr Gillespie said.

“As a case in point, we’re working with a number of data centres who can, in some instances, use as much electricity as a small town. Data centres are a crucial part of modern life and contain the physical infrastructure which make things like the internet, AI, cloud computing and a host of other applications possible.

“For these customers we are continuing to develop solutions which make available not only the large amount of energy they need, but do it in a way that ensures they can be confident it will be there when needed, that is the system is reliable.

“While it certainly is a challenging time for our sector, I’m really excited by the once in a lifetime opportunities the energy transition presents. The transition demands that we work collaboratively towards a shared goal for the benefit of current and future generations – something we can all be proud of,” Mr Gillespie said.

“I look forward to meeting new people over the year and reconnecting with long-standing colleagues and friends!”

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

SAFEGUARDING AUSTRALIA’S

CARBON MARKET FOR FUTURE EXPANSION

By Carl Binning, Executive General Manager Scheme Operations Division, Clean Energy Regulator

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK The market trading of Australian carbon credit units (ACCUs) continues to gain momentum following the Australian Government’s Safeguard Mechanism reforms. The role ACCUs will play in helping Australia’s largest emitting facilities to cut their net greenhouse gas emissions will be crucial to helping Australia reach its emissions reduction targets while supporting business through the transition to greener operations.

Carl Binning, Executive General Manager Scheme Operations Division, Image/CER

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he Clean Energy Regulator (CER) administers the ACCU Scheme which provides financial incentives to land managers, communities and businesses who register projects based on eligible methods to capture carbon or avoid the release of greenhouse gas emissions.

Under the ACCU Scheme, project proponents can be credited one ACCU for each tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions they have stored, avoided or reduced under a carbon crediting method.

Decreasing net emissions From 1 July 2023, the reformed Safeguard Mechanism requires Australia's largest greenhouse gas emitting facilities to decrease their net emissions against a declining level (baseline).

Facilities that exceed their baselines will be required to manage their excess emissions by surrendering ACCUs or Safeguard Mechanism credits (SMCs) generated by other Safeguard facilities.

Using ACCUs for compliance allows Safeguard facilities to access cost-effective abatement outside the scheme and create demand for emissions reductions more generally.

Operating similarly to any exchangetraded commodity, the levels of supply and demand determine the price of ACCUs, with some ACCUs more attractive to prospective buyers than others. The CER issued 17.2 million ACCUs in 2023 and we expect to issue a record number, around 20 million ACCUs in 2024.

The Savanna Fire Management methods under the ACCU Scheme aim to manage and plan savanna fire activities that burn in northern Australia’s savanna to reduce emissions.

Image: CER

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The carbon market in Australia Australia’s carbon market is highly regarded globally compared to other carbon markets including those in Europe and the United States. The Independent Review of ACCUs, commissioned by the Australian Government in 2022, found the scheme to be sound and included recommendations to improve transparency and market confidence.

The CER expects the Australian market to have sufficient supply of ACCUs to meet increasing demand under the Safeguard Mechanism, with future supply from new and existing projects. However, the market may tighten toward the end

of the decade with increased demand for ACCUs by Safeguard facilities.

Over time, Safeguard facilities are expected to increasingly invest in on-site emissions reduction activities. It’s important to note that the Safeguard Mechanism reforms have been designed to provide a material incentive to invest in on-site abatement rather than relying on offsets alone. This includes the ability of facilities to generate SMCs for going below their baseline and enhanced transparency measures, such as requiring facilities that surrender more than 30 per cent of their baseline to publicly explain why more on-site abatement was not undertaken.

In addition to the usual facility-level Safeguard data that is published each year, from this financial year onwards the CER will also be publishing the breakdown of each facility’s emissions by greenhouse gas type, and a breakdown of ACCUs surrendered by method. This additional transparency will help ensure that Safeguard facilities are contributing to achieving Australia’s international emissions reduction targets.

The CER is also developing the Australian Carbon Exchange to facilitate the trade of ACCUs. It will integrate with a new and improved Unit & Certificate Register, to be developed by Trovio Group. The Unit & Certificate Register will consolidate the CER’s current registers to hold ACCUs, as well as supporting other new units and certificates in the future.

Expected to be operational between late 2024 and early 2025 pending market consultation, the Exchange will help to make participating in Australia’s carbon markets both cheaper and easier, more transparent, and accessible.

The CER believes that Australia’s carbon policy framework provides a balanced framework for businesses – creating incentives for investment by offering a range of flexible compliance options, including access to domestic offsets, while creating material incentives for investment in on-site emission reduction activities.

The CER remains committed to supporting transparency, information transfer and liquidity in Australia’s carbon market, which is crucial to enabling Australia to reach its emissions reduction targets.

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

Image: arturnichiporenko/Shutterstock.com

A new report prepared for the Australian Energy Council has identified key bottlenecks preventing renewable energy projects from proceeding in Western Australia.

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n February 2024, the Australian Energy Council (AEC) released a report titled, Bottlenecks affecting generation development in WA. The purpose of the report was to identify and assess the challenges and roadblocks that were likely to prevent investment in and uptake of new energy generation in Western Australia, particularly renewable energy. The report considered the state’s goal of net zero by 2050, as well as the likelihood of increased energy demand, to qualitatively

assess the efficacy of current processes of energy transmission in the state.

Western Australia is in the midst of an energy transformation. The Western Australia Government has committed to an economy-wide goal of net zero emissions by 2050, and is working towards this goal with the rollout of widescale renewable energy projects.

However, to meet these goals will require significant investment in renewable energy infrastructure, including generation, transmission and storage.

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

TRANSMISSION TAILBACK: IDENTIFYING CHALLENGES TO GENERATION DEVELOPMENT IN WA

While there are many projects in the works, there is still uncertainty as to how these projects will proceed and whether they will be able to sufficiently meet the needs of the state’s emissions targets and likely increasing population.

State government-owned Synergy plans to close down all its coal-fired power plants by 2030 and build no new gas-fired power plants after that time. It also plans to invest in 800MW of wind energy generation and 4,400MWh of energy storage. Western Power, also

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owned by the state government, plans to roll out a network of connected batteries and standalone power systems.

These projects require substantial investment and infrastructure to come to fruition. The AEC’s report sought to provide a qualitative assessment of the bottlenecks preventing investment and uptake of new generation projects in the wholesale energy market (WEM), as well as identifying potential consequences should these bottlenecks not be resolved.

Connecting to the transmission network The first stage of reporting looked at connecting to the transmission network. According to Western Power, a general process for connection consists of the phases: enquiry, initiation, scoping, planning, construction and commissioning, and closeout. Western Power said that the number of connection enquiries, as well as the size of projects, has been increasing significantly and attributed this primarily to an increase in June 2024 ISSUE 26

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generator enquiries. Western Power also noted that this process can be quite long, taking at times up to five years to fulfill the phases to completion.

Western Power’s processing of transmission connection enquiries is currently done on a first come, first served basis, meaning that enquiries are processed according to the date of submission. While this manner of handling enquiries is consistent with the Electricity Networks Access Code, Western Power has also noted that this method does not account for critical projects to be fast-tracked in accordance with state or consumer needs. To help address this, Western Power said it is developing a framework for assessing and identifying a critical project based on principles and criteria. Projects identified as critical projects will then be fast-tracked for connection.

The AEC report noted this process improvement – however, the report also recommended a significant shortening of timeframes for processing such enquiries. The report found that reducing these timeframes would likely result in a reduced opportunity cost to applicants, increased investor certainty and risk reduction, and would be more likely to meet the forecast energy capacity shortfall in the state, which it forecast to be approximately 4,000MW by 2032–33.

The report also found that significant changes are required to improve the strike rate of connections, as Western Power statistics indicate that only five per cent of applications are currently making it through to the end of the process.

The report noted that this could be caused by several factors, including “tyre kickers” entering the process without a genuine intention of project completion, the process itself being so frustrating that many genuine applicants give up, and/or that offer arrangements are not commercially acceptable.

Transmission planning Transmission planning refers to the location, timing and size of transmission assets, and needs to account for the time required to identify, acquire and permit easements, as well as construction time and costs. As Western Australia’s energy grid undergoes transformation, transmission planning is becoming more complex. There is a shift away from the traditional incremental, developer-led approach, where individual developers sought connection, to a more centralised, plan-led approach.

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Planning is a forward looking activity and is dependent on a willingness to invest, as well as on forecast costs and charges for related network facilities being accurate.

However, forecasting naturally involves a level of uncertainty, which can result in higher costs or lower reliability than expected. Transmission planning therefore involves multiple and often coexisting trade-offs, and thorough transmission planning requires expertise in engineering, economics, finance, socio-economics and environmental impact.

The report found that a logical (and traditional) approach to network planning is to start with data on: » Expectations for demand and generation including options for customer self-supply » Uncertainty around timing of requirements/future developments » The existing network, which naturally forms a sunk cost starting point for any expansion » Objectives relating to cost effectiveness and reliability of supply » Policy guide rails, such as environmental impact statements, emissions capital and operating cost of new developments While this data is not exhaustive, it provides a thorough way to assess options for how to meet demand, accommodate connections and integrate new energy generation formats in the most efficient manner.

Key recommendations The report recommended four key areas of improvement for the processing and procedure of transmission connection enquiries: » Pricing arrangements to better balance supply and demand for connection services to allocate them to their highest value use » Arrangements that incentivise Western Power to deliver efficient levels of service and to act commercially » Arrangements that are likely to improve the strike rate of applicants progressing through to an Access Contract » Ensuring alignment with the development of the shared transmission network The report recommended allowing applicants to pay a premium for a streamlined and theoretically quicker service. The report said that Western Power should implement pricing

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INDUSTRY OUTLOOK

arrangements that are more likely to “better balance supply and demand for connection services, such that those services are allocated to their highest value use.”

The report also noted that such a service “would need to be supported by prescribed (and transparent) levels of service, penalties for nonperformance against those levels of service, and would be complemented by the publishing of data around base levels of service (to allow a prospective connecting customer to assess their marginal willingness to pay for the incremental increase in the level of service that they expect to receive as a result of purchasing the premium service, as compared to the base level of service).”

The AEC also recommended that prices for the different stages of the connection process should be reviewed

by Energy Resources of Australia (ERA) to confirm that they are reflective of the forecast economic costs of providing the base level of that service. The report noted, “If demand is expected to exceed supply for those services, the price should reflect the costs at the margin of either ramping up resourcing to accommodate that level of service, including the impact on systems, resources, training etc, or the opportunity cost to the connecting customer not being able to access that service. This will ensure that there is both a funding base for baseline connection applications at the margin, and that connecting customers face the right (economically efficient) price signals.”

The report also noted that a credible transmission development plan, and planner, are needed in Western Australia.

A factor in commissioning the report into the challenges affecting generation in the state was that there was a significant difference between two plans that investors had looked to forecast the needs of transmission development in Western Australia.

Those two plans were the South West Interconnected System Demand Assessment (SWISDA), produced by the Western Australian Government’s Energy Policy department in May 2023, and the Whole of System Plan (WOSP), last published in August 2020. The SWISDA reported that 4000km of new network would be needed by 2042, whereas the WOSP forecast almost no new transmission would be required – a big difference between the two plans in what was a relatively short time period.

The AEC said that the difference between the two forecasts left “the observation

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that these were so different that it would be surprising if the outcome for network requirements in the SWISDA was not significantly greater than in the WOSP.” Ultimately, the AEC report recommends that there should be one singular authoritative source of network planning.

The report noted that “to do otherwise creates uncertainty in the planning arrangements, which increases the risk to parties contemplating making investments in the SWIS. In our opinion, Western Power, the asset owner, is the logical body to continue in this role.

Government may, however, be minded to consider the creation of a new and independent planning body as is the case in a number of other jurisdictions.”

The report did note that governments should still have some part in the planning process, and said that governments and their agencies have a legitimate and vital role to play in developing and implementing policy.

However, assessing the implications for network development due to demand and generation projections should remain the responsibility of the appointed network planner.

Another key recommendation was for clarity of approach to network planning within regulatory instruments. The SWIS is facing a fundamental change in how transmission is planned, moving from a developer-led to a plan-led approach.

Current processes are struggling to keep pace with the rapid transition to high levels of renewables in the grid.

Centralised processes need to be explicitly acknowledged and central to transmission planning in order to provide greater clarity to investors and applicants.

The report also stated that the transmission development plan needs to be informed by a set of credible inputs.

While some uncertainties are inevitable when planning and forecasting, the greater that uncertainty is, the greater the risk of project failure. Mechanisms that reduce the level of uncertainty are often included in market designs, including in the WEM. These mechanisms include queuing for connection, the New Facilities Investment Test, LTPASA, the Reserve Capacity Mechanism, the WOSP, the ESOO, Access Applications and Western Power’s Transmission System Plan. These mechanisms inform how various changes in the transmission and generation fleet and the level and location of demand are handled, with further mechanisms under development.

Image: Phillip Wittke/Shutterstock.com

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WIND

DECOMMISSIONING BY DESIGN:

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REUSING AND RECYCLING WIND FARM INFRASTRUCTURE June 2024 ISSUE 26

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WIND

Wind power is essential to achieving net zero in Australia, but as the industry grows and existing infrastructure starts to age, there is a need to further examine what can be done with wind turbines once they are ready to be retired.

Image: Jacques Tarnero/Shutterstock.com

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WIND

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ind power is currently the biggest source of renewable energy in Australia, accounting for 36 per cent of all renewable energy in the grid. There are currently more than 300 wind farm projects in operation, under construction or planned in Australia, a number that is only likely to continue to increase. With the increased uptake of wind power comes the need for policy and regulation in the sector. Adapting to such a new and innovative means of producing energy takes time, and it can be difficult for government policy to keep up with such expedited uptake.

One of the areas that is still relatively unexplored in the industry is the decommissioning of wind farms. In 2023, the Clean Energy Council (CEC) released a report titled Winding up: decommissioning, recycling and resource recovery of Australian wind turbines. The report looked at different options for what to do with end of life wind infrastructure, finding that in the vast majority of cases, reuse and/or recycling was possible and the preferred way to manage decommissioning.

The CEC said, “The Australian wind farm industry takes decommissioning very seriously. No wind farm owner has ever abandoned a wind farm in Australia and the industry does not intend to ever allow this to happen. It is important to emphasise that abandonment of wind farms is not the Australian experience, and that there are no examples in Australia.”

Part of the reason that there are no examples of this happening in Australia is that there are strict requirements for decommissioning planning involved in wind farm planning. Prior to a wind farm being approved to proceed to construction, the project manager must submit detailed plans pertaining to every aspect of the project, including decommissioning proposals.

The decommissioning process Decommissioning a wind farm is almost as daunting a task as installation. According to the CEC, “A wind farm is expected to

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have an operational life of approximately 20 to 30 years. After this time, the project owner will either decommission the site, restoring the area to its previous land use, or negotiate with landowners to upgrade the equipment and extend the wind farm’s operational lifespan.

“Decommissioning means that the wind turbines, site office and any other above ground infrastructure are removed from the site, and roads and foundation pads are covered and revegetated to return the ground to its former state. Sometimes parts of the wind farm that continue to serve a functional purpose may be left behind, such as powerlines and other regular electricity infrastructure.”

Generally, repowering a site with new and updated infrastructure is seen as the preferred path when decommissioning an existing wind farm. But whether the entire site is decommissioned or an upgrade is negotiated, what to do with the physical components of wind turbines remains the biggest question. Many valuable metals and other materials can be found in turbine parts that can be reused and recycled, but other components are not so easy. Blades in particular are a sticking point for recycling, as they are usually made of polymers and fibres that are harder to recycle. However, reuse is still very possible, even if it takes some out-of-the-box problem-solving to do so.

Case study: Ten Mile Lagoon Many of Australia’s earliest wind farms have already been successfully decommissioned. One such wind farm was Synergy’s Ten Mile Lagoon project. The original project saw nine turbines installed at Ten Mile Lagoon in 1993, with another six turbines added at nearby Nine Mile Beach in 2004.

Decommissioning of the sites began in 2022. By this time, the sites had been inactive for several years as they were no longer required in the state’s energy grid. As such, repowering of sites was not possible, meaning that the entirety of both sites needed to be decommissioned and removed. The wind turbines, site www.energymagazine.com.au

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Image: chaiviewfinder/Shutterstock.com

offices and other infrastructure were removed from the site and repurposed. Revegetation was then undertaken.

Despite the age and inactivity of the turbines and other infrastructure, uses were found for almost all of the equipment.

Two wind turbines were donated to a local TAFE campus for students studying clean energy, with another six repurposed at new wind farm sites. Internal road bases and tower concrete foundations will also be donated to the Shire of Esperance for reuse in the Goldfields-Esperance region, with project completion expected in 2024.

Synergy Executive General Manager, Thermal Generation, Angie Young, said, “Ten Mile Lagoon and Nine Mile Beach wind farms are no longer required and have been inactive for a number of years. Sustainability is a core focus at Synergy and we are committed to ensuring the site’s infrastructure will be reused and repurposed. We’re excited to be able to support our future workforce by donating some of the turbines to North Metropolitan TAFE, furthering renewable energy education in Western Australia.”

North Metropolitan TAFE Managing Director, Michelle Hoad, welcomed the donation of the two wind turbines to its Midland campus, which is set to become home to Western Australia’s first Clean Energy Training Centre.

“This donation will give students the opportunity to work on real industry infrastructure to gain the skills they need to enter the clean energy workforce. It is integral to North Metropolitan TAFE’s mission to skill Western Australians for a clean energy future,” Ms Hoad said.

Lessons from solar Other renewable energy sectors are facing similar challenges, as renewable energy infrastructure becomes more prolific and older models start to become outdated. A report from the Australian Centre of Advanced Photovoltaics (ACAP), Scoping study: Solar Panel End-of-Life Management in Australia, recommended a raft of measures for solar panel photovoltaic www.energymagazine.com.au

(PV) recycling, including the establishment of waste facilities in five Australian cities by 2027. The report found that the projected cumulative volume of decommissioned solar panels is likely to reach one million tonnes by 2035.

Solar panels have a lifespan of approximately 20 years.

Although they are made up of many components that are easily recyclable and readily reused, Australia’s current infrastructure limits recycling capabilities so that only about 17 per cent of a solar panel by weight is recyclable. Sustainability Victoria said, “To manage the life cycle of solar infrastructure in Australia, a national framework of shared responsibility is being explored.

Different governments are using product stewardship as a way of assessing and putting into action a management system.”

Currently, the laws regarding disposal of solar panels differ from state to state. In Victoria, solar panels fall under the category of e-waste, which is banned from entering landfill.

South Australia, Queensland and the ACT have also banned solar panels from entering landfill. Solar panels must be taken to a lawful place, which can be a place with permission to sort, store or recover waste, or a place licenced for e-waste processing. It is an indictable offence not to take waste to a place authorised to receive it. New South Wales treats solar panels as e-waste, however, they are not banned from entering landfill. Western Australia is expected to enact a ban on solar panels entering landfill in 2024.

However, looking internationally, we can see that better recycling practices are certainly possible. In the European Union, regulations require 85 per cent collection and 80 per cent recycling of the materials used in PV panels under the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE). Also within the European Union, non-profit solar panel recycling body PV Cycle collected 5,000t of solar PBV panels in France, of which 94.7 per cent was able to be recycled. Clearly, the possibilities exist – we just need the infrastructure and policy to implement them.

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INFRASTRUCTURE SPONSORED EDITORIAL

DECARBONISING CONSTRUCTION WITH

CIRCULAR ECONOMY PRINCIPALS

By Donna Shiel, Senior Circular Economy Consultant, Tonkin + Taylor The infrastructure industry has a critical role to play in meeting Australia’s net zero goals; and by adopting circular economy principles in the design, construction and maintenance of critical assets, this sector has a major opportunity to contribute to the global reduction of carbon emissions.

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ircular economies are based on three core principles: the elimination of waste and pollution; the circulation of products and materials at their highest and most valuable state; and the regeneration of nature.

Adopting circular economy principles in the infrastructure sector will involve integrating sustainable practices across every facet of operations. This includes planning for materials to be recycled at the end of their lifecycle, integrating methods for utilising waste, designing infrastructure for longevity and adaptability, and curbing emissions through smart technologies.

Circular advantage Circular economy practices not only enhance the sustainability credentials of an organisation or project, they also create new value, reduce costs and increase resilience. In fact, in the 21st century, a circular approach to the planning, design, construction and maintenance of assets is crucial to the ongoing viability of infrastructure asset owners themselves.

As infrastructure developers, we need to plan for the long term. The projects we’re currently planning are more than likely going to be around for the next 100 years. This means that we need to design and build them with longevity in mind. It’s a daunting task, but it’s essential. The world is facing a scarcity of resources, and we need to use them wisely.

By planning for the long term, we can ensure that our infrastructure is sustainable and efficient. Now is the time for us to work out what we do well in the circular economy space, particularly relating to infrastructure and manufacturing, and look to build on those successes. We have the resources to build a circular economy, and we have the skills and knowledge. We just need the political will to do so too.

At Tonkin + Taylor, we have a unique role to play in that we understand both the infrastructure project lifecycle, and we

Image: Courtesy of Tonkin + Taylor

have an intimate understanding of sustainability. We work with a number of clients across Australia and New Zealand to help them identify the right places to adopt circular principles, and focus on the concept of using the right material in the right place at the right time.

A great example is the number of Major Road Projects Victoria (MRPV) developments that we’re currently involved with. These developments are utilising low carbon concrete and recycled products; and the Mickleham Road Upgrade in particular has focused on creating a real sustainability culture across the entire project team.

By engaging the entire team and having a number of conversations about sustainability at all levels of these projects – including with team members you traditionally wouldn’t associate with great sustainability outcomes – we are achieving some phenomenal results for the development, the client, and most importantly, the environment and local community.

Reaching for Net Zero is about doing things differently; and throughout the lifecycle of an infrastructure project, interventions can be made to realise more sustainable outcomes. Of course, the earlier in the project lifecycle you look at how this may be achieved, the bigger the potential gains. But even in an advanced project, the best time to start a conversation about sustainability and circularity, and start realising the many benefits, is today.

Sustainability and circularity are key to infrastructure success.

For more information visit www.tonkintaylor.com.au or contact the specialists at Tonkin + Taylor for help with your sustainable infrastructure goals by emailing australia@tonkintaylor.com.au or calling 03 9863 8686

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Complex challenges into sustainable solutions As a specialist provider of engineering and environmental services, Tonkin + Taylor brings your project ambitions to life.

With proven experience on large-scale projects across Australia and New Zealand, we are the specialist partner of choice.

From land development, transport, renewable energy, waste + resource recovery; to water resource management, industry, and mining – we are passionate about creating and sustaining a better world together.

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INFRASTRUCTURE SPONSORED EDITORIAL

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Developed for the task at hand Unlike any other pump manufacturers, Grundfos develops all technology and components specifically for pumping.

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A comprehensive approach Intelligence in pump solutions means creating a comprehensive system, combining pumps, drives, controls and protection, transmitters and communication units. The Grundfos iSOLUTIONS is a technology that communicates and adapts precisely to system demands.

Depending on the specific application, Grundfos iSOLUTIONS can either be delivered as completely integrated solutions – like the new and TPE3 – or as flexible systems consisting of various components – for example, pumps, drives, measurement and controls.

A Grundfos iSOLUTION can also include one or more of our extended service offerings as for example Premium Service Contracts and GRM Solution Management.

This approach guarantees intelligent solutions catering to your demands based on intelligent control that drives down the total cost of ownership of your pump system, while raising the bar in efficient performance.

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INFRASTRUCTURE SPONSORED EDITORIAL

THERMAL IMAGING CAMERAS FOR SUBSTATION MONITORING Thermal imaging cameras offer significant advantages in substation monitoring, providing utilities with valuable insights into equipment health and operational efficiency. These cameras detect heat signatures emitted by various components, allowing for early detection of potential issues such as overloaded circuits, loose connections and failing equipment.

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ne of the primary benefits of thermal imaging in substations is its ability to identify problems before they escalate into costly failures or outages. By detecting abnormal temperature patterns, technicians can proactively address issues, preventing downtime and minimizing the risk of equipment damage.

Improving safety during inspections Additionally, thermal imaging cameras enable utilities to conduct inspections more safely and efficiently. Traditional methods often require personnel to physically inspect equipment, which can be time-consuming and hazardous.

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Enabling Project Delivery The Australian Marine Complex Common User Facility (AMC CUF) suppo s the renewable energy sector by providing extensive ocean-front assets, services and infrastructure including: • Loadout and maintenance wharves for cargo receival • Laydown area for staging and dispatch • Access to the High Wide Load Corridor for road transpo • 24 hour manned security with CCTV Contact us to discuss your next project or to find out more about our capabilities and infrastructure. info@amccuf.com.au I +61 8 9437 0500 australianmarinecomplex.com.au/cuf

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Image: Territory Generation

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INFRASTRUCTURE

TERRITORY GENERATION UNVEILS SECOND DARWIN-KATHERINE BESS www.energymagazine.com.au

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In July 2020, the Northern Territory Government released the Northern Territory Climate Change Response: Towards 2050 report, which laid out the impacts of climate change in the Territory and detailed the government’s plan to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. To establish the foundations required to deliver this goal of an enduring and effective climate change response, the Territory Government introduced the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan.

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orthern Territory households and businesses continue to invest in solar power, with rooftop solar PV installations growing by an average of 45 per cent each year since 2010. While this is great news from a renewable energy perspective, the increase in solar energy in the grid does present a challenge to maintaining security and reliability in the Territory’s power system.

To make up for energy shortfalls when the sun isn’t shining, the Territory currently relies on provision of a gas-fired spinning reserve – a solution that is both expensive and a big contributor to carbon emissions through the use of gas. The Territory Government has said that the connection of large-scale solar projects to the grid presents challenges for system security and reliability, and while the technologies do exist to effectively manage these challenges, investors are looking for cost efficient ways to do so in order to ensure the lowest possible energy prices for Territorians.

To help chart a course towards its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, the Territory Government released the DarwinKatherine Electricity System Plan. The Darwin-Katherine area is a key focus for renewable energy uptake due to its population and climate. According to the plan, the Darwin-Katherine Interconnected System (DKIS) provides electricity to 150,000 Territorians, including residential homes and a diverse range of small, medium and industrial-scale businesses.

A unique energy system In 2021, about 88 per cent of energy was met by thermal generation. The generators connect to the electricity network, which transports the electricity to households and businesses.

In 2021, approximately nine per cent of underlying energy was supplied by small-scale solar generation, and three per cent by large-scale solar generation.

The DKIS is unique, and quite different from most other power systems in Australia. These unique challenges impact the suitability of some types of renewable energy generation.

Some of the key factors that contribute to these challenges of renewable energy generation and storage in DarwinKatherine include:

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It is a small standalone grid, delivering the equivalent of only one per cent of total energy generated in the National Electricity Market. Economies of scale are notoriously difficult to achieve. » Due to geographic remoteness, the DKIS is not interconnected with other regional networks, such as Alice Springs or Tennant Creek, meaning that fit-for-purpose, bespoke solutions are necessary. » The operating environment is harsh and subject to weather volatility, particularly cyclones and monsoonal periods when the sun does not shine. Demand needs to be met despite the extreme weather, which can potentially also affect system security. » Significant natural resource opportunities exist, including low-cost solar. However, there are current limitations with viably accessing alternative renewables (such as the wind, tidal, hydro, hydrogen and biofuels). » There has been significant reform to the electricity market over the last decade, including structural separation of generation, networks and retail, and regulatory reform.

The Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan acknowledged that continuing reform will impact the deliverability of renewable energy goals, and noted the need to ensure that strategic policies and actions are complementary. »

Delivering solutions To help address these challenges, one of the key deliverables detailed in the system plan was the 35MW Darwin-Katherine Big Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS), to be delivered by Territory Generation at the Channel Island Power Station.

The $45 million DK BESS is designed to provide power system services, including spinning reserve, equivalent to a Frame 6B gas generator. 192 batteries, each weighing 3.5 tonnes, have been installed for the DK BESS. For pre-commissioning testing, a temporary power supply was installed on eight Hitachi Energy modules – each comprising a bank of batteries, a set of inverters and a step-up transformer. The temporary power supply, in combination with an AC/DC power converter, charged and discharged the battery modules to test all their functions before being connected to the 11kV switch room. www.energymagazine.com.au

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Image: sljones/Shutterstock.com

With the construction and pre-commissioning phases now complete, the DK BESS is closer than ever to achieving full operation. Territory Generation is continuing to work with key stakeholders to begin rigorous testing, with power system modeling and connection agreement negotiations well underway.

Full operation of the DK BESS is due to commence in 2024.

Territory Generation CEO, Gerhard Laubscher, said, “The successful installation of all batteries and progression to precommissioning is a significant step forward for the DK BESS. “We recognise commissioning is a complex and time intensive process, and we are working closely with all stakeholders to support the fastest possible progression of these activities.

“The DK BESS is key to unlocking flexibility in our generation fleet. Once commissioned, it will be online continuously, helping to stabilise the impacts of solar and support the integration of more into the Darwin-Katherine grid,” Mr Laubscher said.

The Territory Government has estimated that having the DK BESS online and available to reduce reliance on gas generation would result in cost savings of around $9.8 million annually, as well as eliminating approximately 58,000 tonnes of carbon emissions each year. The government also projected a payback period of five years from connection to the grid.

Two is better than one With the DK BESS successfully achieving key project milestones, Territory Generation recently announced that it is progressing works on a second large-scale BESS project for Darwin-Katherine, the DK BESS 2. Together, the two BESS projects are set to fulfill the Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan requirements for the installation of up to 105MW of highspecification batteries, enabling further uptake of both small and large-scale solar PV installation.

The DK BESS 2 will involve the deployment of large-scale batteries distributed across multiple locations throughout the DKIS. Unlike the original DK BESS, which has been built at one site, the DK BESS 2 battery system will be spread around the grid in order to further strengthen network resilience. The distributed network of batteries is designed to assist in ensuring system security and enable more solar energy penetration by providing essential frequency and voltage control services. www.energymagazine.com.au

The DK BESS 2 will add to capability demonstrated by the first DK BESS. Commissioning of the DK BESS 2 is targeted from 2026 onwards.

Northern Territory Chief Minister, Eva Lawler, said, “The DK BESS and DK BESS 2 are an important part of our transition to a renewable energy future.

“We are able to invest in our power grid because we own our assets like Territory Generation, Jacana, and Power and Water.

By owning our assets, we can keep power prices low. Battery technology will play a significant role in our target of reaching 50 per cent renewable energy consumption by 2030.”

Northern Territory Minister for Renewables and Energy, Kate Worden, said, “The DK BESS 2 project will secure our energy supply for Territorians and stabilise our grid as we move towards integrating more renewable energy into our power use.

“As we move towards a future where renewable energy will play a greater part in our power supply, the DK BESS and DK BESS 2 projects will facilitate a major port of this change.”

The Expression of Interest assessment for the DK BESS 2 has been performed and is now closed, with a shortlist of proponents selected for the next phase.

Territory Generation said it is currently investigating other renewable generation and long-term storage solutions that will work in collaboration with both DK BESS projects to further advance the government’s renewable energy targets.

Territory Generation CEO, Gerhard Laubscher, said, “Territory Generation’s battery energy storage system projects will play a critical role in advancing renewables in Darwin-Katherine and other power systems across the Northern Territory.

“Adding more battery energy storage systems to Territory Generation’s portfolio will not only enable more renewables and efficient generation dispatch throughout the energy transition, but also fosters the evolution of various technological innovations and further support grid resilience.”

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ACCELERATING QUEENSLAND’S RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE: THE REZ ROADMAP

Following community consultation, the Queensland Government released the Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap, which outlines the pathway for the development of renewables in the state.

Image: Mr Privacy/Shutterstock.com

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INFRASTRUCTURE

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he Queensland Government’s Renewable Energy Zone Roadmap (REZ Roadmap) is a framework that details the rollout of renewable energy infrastructure over 12 proposed renewable energy zones (REZs) across the state.

In line with the state’s goal of reaching 80 per cent renewable energy capacity by 2035, the plan would see the strategic connection of approximately 22GW of new grid-scale renewable energy over three phases.

After assessing and incorporating stakeholder feedback from the draft REZ Roadmap, the new framework was unveiled in March 2024 and was enacted into law in April 2024. The Queensland Government said that the REZ Roadmap will be updated every two years in partnership with communities, and notes that future REZs may be identified in order to meet Queensland’s growing household energy needs and to support future industries

A coordinated development strategy An REZ is an area that is strategically planned to coordinate and connect multiple clean energy generators, like wind and solar projects, to optimise the development of network infrastructure.

When identifying an REZ, natural resource availability, existing grid infrastructure, and environmental, community and economic implications are all taken into consideration and these factors have also informed the timeline for the development of these zones outlined in the REZ Roadmap.

The development of an REZ involves comprehensive planning for associated ports, roads, bridges, waste management, water, workforce, housing and other elements that are fundamental to the coordinated development of gridscale renewable energy. By using this coordinated approach to the energy transformation, these zones are better able to reduce costs and minimise the overall footprint of development to improve local outcomes.

Meeting renewable energy targets The Queensland Government has outlined renewable energy targets of 50 per cent by 2030, 70 per cent by 2032 and 80 per cent by 2035. However, in order to achieve these targets, the Queensland energy system needs six times more large-scale wind and solar generation by 2035 than is currently operating in the state.

This is where REZs have a pivotal role to play. There is already a strong pipeline of renewable energy projects in Queensland, but REZs allow for improved coordination in connecting these projects, as well as facilitating better outcomes for communities, environment, and industries.

The REZ Roadmap outlines the following as potential benefits of a coordinated REZ approach to renewable energy: » Lower electricity costs for consumers the Queensland Government estimates that the efficiency savings through coordinated REZ development, forward planning and economies of scale in connection infrastructure could lower the state’s household electricity bills. » Reduced impact on local communities early planning allows for regional opportunities, local infrastructure needs and potential impacts to be identified and managed in the initial stages of development. The new framework also aims to enhance stakeholder engagement and better equip communities as partners in REZ development. » Support for Queensland’s economy and new investment opportunities the identification of the 12 potential REZs supports new investment in renewable

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»

energy projects, which in turn creates long-term employment opportunities. The Queensland Government anticipates that REZs will create approximately 4,000 renewable energy construction jobs.

Improved Environmental outcomes the proactive and careful approach to assessments outlined in the REZ Roadmap aims to identify environmental issues and opportunities upfront. These assessments will investigate a range of factors including waste management, environment, First Nations considerations, and other land issues. The outcomes from these assessments will then inform strategies for mitigating environmental impacts and maximising benefits from renewable energy development.

Empowering communities The Queensland Government said that landholders, local stakeholders, councils, and the broader community – including farmers, small business and residents of regional communities – will be put at the core of how renewables are rolled out in their region.

The REZ Roadmap outlines the steps that the government is taking to ensure that these communities reap their fair share of the rewards from the energy transition, and to encourage project developers to invest in benefits for local communities.

The Queensland Government also said that in response to stakeholder feedback it will also review how it could better manage community concerns and complaints about large-scale energy infrastructure development.

In line with its Local Energy Partnerships (LEP) framework, the Queensland Government plans to roll out several initiatives designed to amplify local voices as part of the energy transformation, including: » Expanding the role of the GasFields Commission Queensland to renewables » Promoting the coexistence of renewable energy, agriculture and other industries in communities » Enhancing stakeholder engagement and better equipping communities through the energy transformation » Partnering with local councils to support engagement with the energy transformation » Working with the Office of the Coordinator General to facilitate renewable energy development » Reviewing planning frameworks for renewable energy to ensure efficient assessment pathways and growing acceptance of projects by the community The Queensland Government also said that it will continue to use existing mechanisms – such as the Local Economic Opportunities Network – in order to streamline consultation and ensure coordinated community engagement.

As part of the expanded role for the GasFields Commission Queensland, the Queensland Government plans to establish independent Community Leader Councils to provide input on coexistence challenges for energy and support coordinated energy planning.

Another key aspect outlined in the REZ Roadmap is the establishment of local reference groups for each specific REZ community. Members of these groups will include local stakeholders and businesses, landowners, and cultural representatives. A Renewable Energy Jobs Advocate will also be put in place to work with communities in order to maximise job and training opportunities in the energy industry.

Implementing REZ Readiness Assessments The preparation of REZ Readiness Assessments is also

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outlined in the new framework. These assessments are designed to identify strategies for maximising the opportunities and managing potential local impacts of REZ development.

REZ Readiness Assessments will occur at a strategic regional level as well as at a detailed local level for each of the potential REZ locations where needed. These will help to identify local infrastructure needs and opportunities based on a holistic view of the REZ and pipeline of projects in the area.

Once concluded, the outcomes from these assessments will then be used to inform strategic mapping and analysis, as well as other work across government. The Queensland Government said that it will work closely with communities to ensure that local input underpins the assessments and subsequent recommendations.

The Queensland Government said that measures for mitigating local impacts will be delivered in partnership with Powerlink and the Office of the Coordinator-General – with the goal of improving coordination and facilitation as well as increasing programs of work.

As part of the delivery of the REZ Roadmap, the Queensland Government has committed $6 million to commence the Central Queensland Strategic REZ Readiness Assessment in the first half of 2024, and the Strategic REZ Readiness Assessments for North, Far North and Southern Queensland in late 2024.

Following feedback that regional communities need additional assistance to make the most of the state’s energy transition, the government has also allocated $20 million from the Regional Economic Futures Fund (REFF) to support the outcomes of the first REZ Readiness Assessments.

How is a REZ developed?

The REZ Roadmap defines four distinct stages to developing a REZ. Queensland’s energy needs, as well as the needs and interests of communities, landholders, investors and First Nations people will inform the rate at which each individual REZ moves through these stages.

Stage one: planning REZs with communities The first stage kicks off long-term planning for potential REZ locations and involves engagement with communities and the renewable energy sector to assess the suitability of an area for REZ development.

Several factors are considered when determining whether a location could be a potential REZ, including investor interest, alignment with broader system transformation and compatibility with other land uses.

Once a potential location has been identified, it will be incorporated into the REZ Roadmap as well as the SuperGrid Infrastructure Blueprint, which is updated every two years.

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This stage involves: The Queensland Government undertaking strategic REZ Readiness Assessments by engaging with communities to understand the suitability of potential REZ locations and how best to support the social, environmental and economic needs of regions. » Renewable energy developers engaging with landholders and surrounding community, assessing financial viability, and conducting planning and environmental assessments. » Powerlink working with renewable energy developers to gather information about projects located around potential REZs. This information will help inform the development of a proposed REZ Management Plan. »

Stage two: consultation and declaring a REZ This stage involves formal consultation with communities on a draft REZ Management Plan for a specific REZ. As part of this process, the Queensland Government may also commission a Detailed REZ Readiness Assessment to understand and plan for the immediate local needs of the host community. Following extensive consultation, the REZ will be formally declared to commence development.

This stage will see: » The Queensland Government working with local stakeholders, establishing local reference groups, and engaging on Detailed REZ Readiness Assessments. » Powerlink consulting on a draft REZ Management Plan, including the eligibility criteria that will be used to select participating renewable projects in the REZ. » Renewable energy developers engaging with the community to progress project development assessments; providing feedback on the draft REZ Management Plan; and negotiating connection agreements with Powerlink to connect into the REZ. Stage three: construction and operation At this stage, construction and operation of the REZ will commence, including the required network infrastructure upgrades and renewable projects.

During this stage communities can expect to see: » The Queensland Government implementing REZ Readiness initiatives. » Powerlink engaging with REZ host communities and the local reference groups to progress final network design as well as the construction, connection, commissioning and operation of the REZ. » Renewable energy developers finalising projects by engaging with landholders and the community, securing financing, finishing planning and environmental assessments, and completing construction. » Local reference groups engaging on local priorities through construction and operation. www.energymagazine.com.au

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Stage four: commissioned At this final stage, the REZ is now fully operational and all connecting projects are completed.

This stage involves: » The Queensland Government supporting communities throughout the REZ lifecycle and continuing to engage with local reference groups including ongoing opportunities. » Powerlink operating the REZ in line with the lifecycle of different network and connecting assets. » Renewable energy projects in the REZ operating and considering decommissioning or reinvestment in line with the REZ Management Plan and project approvals.

Some projects may extend their operating life through reinvestment, while others may decide to decommission as guided by statutory conditions and market conditions.

The phases of REZ development According to the REZ Roadmap, REZs in Queensland will be developed over three phases: » Phase one (2022–2024): this phase will focus on early pilot zones in areas with available network capacity or that require limited transmission investment to unlock high investor interest through scale efficiencies in connections. » Phase two (2024–2028): during this phase, development of renewable generation will expand to match local demand and new zones in Queensland will be unlocked to increase renewable energy generation » Phase three (2028–2035): in this timeframe, development will support further network enhancements and the expansion of renewable generation to decarbonise the electricity system. It will also aim to power growing industrial demand from hydrogen export, industrial electrification and begin the electrification of broader energy demand in Queensland.

The 12 identified REZs A total of twelve potential REZs in Queensland have been identified across Southern, Central and Far-North Queensland.

These zones will be developed over the three phases to connect up to 22GW of renewable energy generation projects.

REZs in Southern Queensland Queensland's south, including the Darling Downs and Wide Bay Burnett regions have unique advantages and opportunities for REZ development; five potential REZ have been identified in this region, which are expected to deliver a combined total of up to 12,200MW of renewable generation.

There are two REZ currently underway, Southern Downs REZ and Western Downs REZ, which are expected to generate 2,000–2,600MW each. A further two REZs are forecast to be delivered during phase two: the Woolooga REZ, which is expected to have 1,800–2,400MW of installed generation; and the Darling Downs REZ, which would add 1,600–2,000MW of generation. The fifth REZ, scheduled to be delivered during phase three, is the Tarong REZ, which would add 2,000–2,600MW of generation.

REZs in Central Queensland With its diverse and expanding economy, Central Queensland is strategically to benefit from the energy transformation. There are four potential future REZs in the region, generating an estimated 1,400 direct construction jobs during development and attracting further investment into the region.

Phase one will see the delivery of the Callide REZ and Calliope REZ, which are expected to contribute 2,000– 2,600MW and 1,500–2,000MW respectively. The final two REZs at Isaac and Capricorn will be delivered during phase two, and are each projected to contribute 1,400–1,800MW. REZs in North and Far North Queensland The Northern parts of Queensland are expected to be home to at least three REZs; the Far North Queensland REZ is already underway, and is expected to generate 500–700MW of renewable energy.

A further two potential REZs are forecast for phase two, the Collinsville REZ (1,600–2,000MW) and the Flinders REZ (2,000–2,400MW).

The Queensland Government said that this roadmap outlines the state’s vision to foster thriving communities and a clean energy economy through the development of Renewable Energy Zones. It also outlines the State Government’s focus on ensuring that communities, landholders and First Nations people are at the centre of the renewable energy rollout.

To read the full REZ Roadmap, visit https://www.energyandclimate.qld.gov.au/energy/renewable-energy-zones/rez-roadmap

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JOBS, TRAINING AND SAFETY

NEW HYDROGEN DIRECTOR A BREADTH OF ENERGY CQUniversity has recently appointed Paul Hodgson as it new Director of Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energies. Here, the new Director shares his vision to cultivate world-class expertise and support the industry as we transition towards hydrogen and clean energy.

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new leader is at the helm of CQUniversity’s Centre for Hydrogen and Renewable Energies (CHRE).

Paul Hodgson has stepped into the recently vacated director role and already hit the ground running.

“I have been amazed by the breadth of energy transition research happening right across the network of CQUniversity campuses,” Mr Hodgson said.

“I want to find ways to link and showcase the great research happening. Having a whole-of-CQU view and approach is important to best position CHRE as a facilitator, connector and promoter as well as a doer.”

Mr Hodgson has also assumed the position of Executive Director Regional Futures – Energy Transitions.

“I have a background of working with Central Queensland stakeholders on innovation, regional development, hydrogen, energy, sustainability and supply chain development.

“My previous roles have also given me insights into innovative technologies and opportunities from across the globe,” Mr Hodgson explained.

“Central Queensland has an almost unique opportunity to show the world how to achieve regional industrial decarbonisation.”

Embracing the transition With a vision to cultivate world-class expertise to empower industry partners and new industry clients, Mr Hodgson said he will support a range of stakeholders as they embrace the transition to hydrogen and other clean energy.

“Central Queensland is an industrial and energy powerhouse with many companies covered by the Federal Government’s Safeguard Mechanism,” Mr Hodgson said.

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“Keeping existing employers in the region in a net zero world and attracting new industries will be key to the success of the region.

“With emission intensive industry in Liquefied natural gas (LNG), coal, mineral processing, chemicals, cement, electricity generation, and food production, it would be easy to focus on the challenges ahead.

“However, with renewable energy advantages in wind, solar, bioenergy and fuels, such as Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF), and green hydrogen, ammonia and methanol, those challenges represent significant opportunities for economic diversification.”

He said that a key focus in the region will be how this can be utilised for economic and social prosperity for its communities.

“CQUniversity already has a number of MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) and we’ll be looking to expand on that to develop long-term partnerships, supporting industry and government achieve their energy transition goals and commercial opportunities.” Mr Hodgson said.

“Increased training, education and research in Central Queensland can catalyse high value and sustainable local jobs and business opportunities, replacing the typical boom-bust cycle of construction-led project activity.

“The region already has leading small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) supplying products and services globally and we will look to help them scale through the significant investment coming to the region over the coming decades.

Mr Hodgson is based in Brisbane but will be spending a considerable amount of time in Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton and Mackay, providing him with a comprehensive view of what is happening in the sector across Central Queensland, but also with ready access to government and industry decision-makers who aren’t based in the region.

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JOBS, TRAINING AND SAFETY

Image: CQUniversity

Image: PopTika/Shutterstock.com

A long-standing supporter of CQUniversity Prior to commencing at CQUniversity, Mr Hodgson was the interim CEO of a bid for a Scaling Green Hydrogen Cooperative Research Centre (CRC), where he secured $163 million in cash and in-kind support from 97 partners, including CQUniversity.

“When the CRC bid wasn’t successful for Commonwealth Government funding in December 2023, I jumped at the chance to work with CQUniversity to continue the important work required to realise the significant economic and social opportunity for our regions,” Mr Hodgson said.

Mr Hodgson is a proud CQUniversity alumnus, where he completed a Masters in Sustainable Development in 2004.

Driving sustainability and innovation As a strong advocate for further education, Mr Hodgson also holds a Certificate IV in Assessment and Workplace Training, is a Certified Advisory Board Chair, an Australian Certified Economic Developer, and a Certified Developer of Enterprise.

“I have always been driven by a sense of purpose, curiosity, variety, and a desire to help others.

“In the early 2000s, I noticed a growing trend for social and environmental outcomes in the research and development, innovation and commercialisation work I was doing. This motivated me to enrol with CQUniversity and further my knowledge in the sustainability space.

“My studies allowed me to build upon the core values of sustainability, to drive innovation and address sustainability challenges within the corporate, government and not-for-profit sectors. The program increased my understanding and skills in systems thinking, community development and the importance of collaboration to deliver shared value.”

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This led Mr Hodgson to start a sustainability, innovation, and clean energy consulting business soon after graduating.

“Over the last 20 years, I’ve undertaken a lot of work in clean energy such as helping establish a Clean Energy Innovation Centre, a Clean Technology venture capital pipeline for the Queensland Government, a national network of regional hydrogen technology clusters, and helped universities and businesses secure grants for a wide range of clean energy and innovation projects,” Mr Hodgson said.

“As a passionate regional economic developer, I am keen to see the benefits of clean energy, hydrogen and decarbonisation investments deliver sustained economic and social benefits for regional communities.”

Mr Hodgson said he was looking forward to what lies ahead as he drives innovation and research within CHRE. “There is a fantastic opportunity for CQUniversity to play a leadership role in the development of the hydrogen and renewable energy sectors, to help diversify and transform our regions, but also help create sustainable economic and social prosperity from the interest that the world has in investing in Central Queensland.

“I’ve continually sought opportunities where I can learn and have impact. I want to help set a clear vision for the centre; attract, develop and nurture talent; build strong internal and external partnerships, and map a plan for high quality and impactful research that delivers for our stakeholders,” Mr Hodgson said.

“No one organisation can do this alone. We’ll be looking to build alliances and partnerships to co-create a positive future for all stakeholders.”

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HYDROGEN GENERATOR

POWERING SUSTAINABILITY IN CONSTRUCTION

With the drive toward carbon neutrality becoming increasingly prevalent in Australia, it's critical for utilities to be on the lookout for technologies that can keep their operations as sustainable as possible. As part of an ongoing effort to reduce its carbon footprint, Sydney Water is powering the construction of a major infrastructure project with hydrogen.

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W

hile searching for ways to reduce its carbon emissions during construction of the $1.2 billion Upper South Creek Advanced Water Recycling Centre (AWRC) at Kemp Creek, Sydney Water’s construction partner, John Holland, presented the idea of substituting its diesel field generator with a hydrogen one.

Together, the companies conducted a 28-day trial of a revolutionary hydrogen generator to help power the construction of the AWRC.

The Upper South Creek AWRC Located between Kemps and South Creek in the Western Parkland City, the AWRC facility will service up to 400,000 dwellings in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Growth area and, once constructed, will be one of the most advanced wastewater recycling facilities in the southern hemisphere.

The facility’s primary function is wastewater treatment but that’s far from the only service to be performed by the facility.

When complete, the plant is set to provide recycled water, energy generation and waste reuse to the community.

The AWRC is designed to collect wastewater from the Western Sydney Aerotropolis Growth areas and treat it to the highest quality of water possible, called advanced quality water.

The technology used is called reverse osmosis – the technology used in desalination plants – where wastewater from homes and

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businesses is treated to produce recycled water for a range of residential, agricultural and industrial uses.

The plant will also be used to process other organic waste – such as food, fats, oils and greases – to create useful biogases and biosolids, making it one of the greenest infrastructure investments in New South Wales. More than 80 per cent of Australia’s food waste is currently disposed of in landfill, where it decomposes to form methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

Sydney Water’s modelling found that the AWRC could divert up to 30,000t of organic waste from landfill per year by 2030.

The move to a circular economy is an essential one and, once complete, the AWRC is positioned to have an incredibly positive impact on the environment. However, another important consideration that needs to be made is how the emissions produced during construction of this facility can be reduced.

Construction and building activity accounts for 18.1 per cent of Australia’s carbon footprint, and makes up 40 per cent of landfill waste, making the sector one of the country’s largest contributors to greenhouse gas. Building the Upper South Creek AWRC is no small task, and a job that will require a significant amount of power.

Diesel generators are often the power source of choice for construction sites, however in addition to being noisy they also rely on the burning of fossil fuels – a process well-known for producing harmful carbon emissions.

To combat this, Sydney Water and its construction partner looked into hydrogen generators as a potential solution.

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Hydrogen-powered equipment: a quiet achiever There are significant benefits that come with using a hydrogen generator instead of diesel. Hydrogen is considered a clean energy source, as it doesn’t produce harmful greenhouse gases or pollutants when burned, making it an environmentally-friendly alternative to diesel – which currently powers generators and machinery at most construction sites around the country.

Sydney Water’s Environment and Sustainability Manager for Major Projects, Gill Fowler, said that hydrogen power could be a viable alternative for the future.

“The adoption of hydrogen technology positions Sydney Water at the forefront of innovation in the industry, potentially attracting future partnerships, and investment opportunities that align with our clean energy goals.”

Ms Fowler, said that Sydney Water has a target to be carbon zero in its operations by 2030 and then in its supply chain or Scope 3 emissions by 2040.

“To do that, we're looking at ways that we can reduce our carbon emissions, through energy usage or more energy efficient technology, alternative sources of energy, renewable energy, and also looking at the types of materials we use.”

“The trial was carried out for 28 days on the site. It was put in place because the site is a greenfield site, meaning there was no power to it.

“This was an opportunity to power the site with a hydrogen generator rather than a diesel generator. Over the four-week trial, 28 days, we saw a reduction of just over 12t of carbon for that period.”

Noise reduction is another major advantage, with hydrogenpowered equipment being quieter than its diesel counterparts, which is especially advantageous for construction projects in noise-sensitive areas, such as urban environments or near residential neighbourhoods.

“It's much quieter than our diesel generators. When you're standing next to it, you don't actually hear noise. That's a big benefit of utilising a hydrogen generator within our construction projects. It's got a much better amenity.”

This factor is also incredibly valuable for projects that require work to extend outside of daylight hours.

“Some construction projects require night work. If they need a generator to power lights, or to power site sheds, if a hydrogen generator is used, then that removes that noise that would otherwise come from a diesel generator, and be a disturbance to nearby residents.”

Ms Fowler explained that as part of its delivery of the AWRC project, John Holland led the trial and worked with suppliers to have the hydrogen generator with the hydrogen fuel installed and operating.

Hydrogen generators, how do they work?

The GEH2 Hydrogen generator utilises the combination of a hydrogen fuel cell and a lithium-ion iron phosphate battery and has the equivalent power of a diesel generator. The 100kVA hydrogen generator can power more than 70 homes at any one time.

The utilisation of a hydrogen generator in place of a traditional diesel-powered generator for a working year would eliminate 152t of greenhouse gas emissions being released into the atmosphere. Transitioning to clean emitting hydrogen generators similar to that used in this trial is equivalent to taking 50 cars off Australian roads every year.

They can be used in construction projects on any site that does not otherwise have access to the electricity necessary to power cranes, and other heavy equipment.

Hydrogen generators produce energy by burning H₂ gas. www.energymagazine.com.au

Interestingly, hydrogen is considered the single most abundant element in the known universe, yet it very rarely occurs naturally on Earth in its pure gaseous form. It needs to be produced artificially, which is why a rapidly expanding hydrogen industry is being established right here in Australia, and why Australia’s hydrogen project pipeline is the biggest in the world.

The gas is carbon neutral, emitting no greenhouse gases when produced or burned. It is created using a process called electrolysis, which uses electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen gas. When burned in a fuel cell as part of a hydrogen generator, H₂ gas expels only water vapour as a byproduct.

New tech, new challenges Hydrogen generators are not without their own drawbacks and challenges.

Ms Fowler explained that the hydrogen gas for the generator came in sets of singular bottles.

“They have limited capacity, so they require changeover fairly regularly. There would be opportunities for larger containers of hydrogen gas, which would then eliminate the need for the ongoing weekly deliveries if you're doing it for a longer period of time. That could drive down costs by reducing the transport costs of getting hydrogen to the site.”

As Australia’s hydrogen industry grows, availability, storage and transport of hydrogen will improve, making devices like hydrogen generators more practical, efficient and, importantly, less expensive.

Currently, one of the primary drawbacks of the hydrogen generator is its significantly higher running cost – compared to a diesel field generator, hydrogen costs as much as 15-times more to run.

Construction companies looking to improve the environmental impact of their operations will need to weigh the benefits of utilising hydrogen generators. A difficult decision, particularly in a time when construction costs are at a historic high.

Ms Fowler said that Sydney Water will look to deploy hydrogen generators in its future construction projects, provided that there is a viable opportunity.

“We have to look at the cost of it, whether that stacks up, and also the space for it. Hydrogen needs an exclusion zone around it to operate, so if you've got a confined or a smaller space then it's a bit trickier.

“But on a large greenfield site like the Upper South Creek site, it's a perfect opportunity to use it. At the moment, the costs are still much higher to rent the hydrogen generator compared to a diesel generator. But when it becomes more widely available, then we'll see a reduction in those costs.”

John Holland General Manager Infrastructure, Steve Tolley, said that hydrogen generators are a step in the right direction when it comes to reducing carbon emissions.

“This revolutionary trial puts us at the cutting-edge of innovation and sustainability as we build one of the Southern Hemisphere’s most advanced water recycling facilities,” Mr Tolley said.

“Hydrogen technology is a gamechanger – with its incredible potential to reduce emissions and noise pollution whilst reducing our industry’s carbon footprint.”

Although hydrogen generators are still expensive, they show great promise for enhancing the sustainability of field operations, not just in construction but across a variety of industries, and as the hydrogen industry continues to expand, this carbon neutral technology could play a major role in guiding Australia to a net zero future.

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USAGE VS PRICE: VICTORIAN ENERGY MARKET REPORT

EXAMINES THE BALANCE

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The Victorian Essential Services Commission (ESC) released its latest Energy Market Report (EMR) in March 2024. This report took an in-depth look at energy usage, particularly for households experiencing payment difficulty.

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he Energy Market Report (EMR) looks at the price of electricity in Victoria and the actions consumers can take to save on their electricity bills. The Victorian energy rules require retailers to offer support to households in payment difficulty, which can include advice on whether a lower price is available and on how to lower energy consumption. It is important retailers meet these obligations to support households experiencing payment difficulty.

Many Australian households are experiencing cost of living stress, including pressure from rising energy and gas prices. In Victoria, the price of electricity rose 23 per cent between June and August 2023 alone, while approximately 70,000 energy customers received payment difficulty support in Victoria in 2023.

There are existing rules and assistance frameworks designed to support all households, and especially those struggling with paying their electricity bills. All electricity retailers and gentailers are obliged to regularly inform their customers about whether they could access a better price for their energy. A retailer must determine whether a customer is on the best offer by looking at that customer’s usage and comparing what they pay on their current offer against the cheapest generally available offer.

The Energy Retail Code of Practice also requires retailers to offer support to households who are experiencing payment difficulty. This can include advice on whether a lower price is available and ways to lower energy consumption. Government programs can also help households lower their reliance on grid-supplied electricity.

Pricing vs usage The March 2024 EMR examined data from 2022 and 2023 to gather insights into consumer energy pricing and usage, focussing on customers experiencing hardship.

The report found that despite a rise in general electricity prices, Victorian customers receiving payment difficulty support paid a lower median price per kilowatt hour for their electricity than customers who did not receive payment support. In 2022, households receiving payment difficulty support paid a median price of approximately 27 cents per kilowatt hour, while households that did not receive payment difficulty assistance from their retailer paid an average price of 30 cents per kilowatt hour.

Despite this, the average total energy cost per household was higher for those customers who received payment difficulty support – with households receiving payment support paying around $1,460 total per year for electricity in 2022 and households not receiving payment support paying around $1,218 total for the same period.

These differences indicate that for hardship customers, energy usage is a definitive factor in high energy bills. On average, households receiving payment difficultly support used around 5,150kWh of electricity per annum, while the average usage for households not receiving payment support was around 3,800kWh. There are many factors that contribute to high energy usage.

One factor is housing arrangements, such as renting or living in an apartment. Living in an apartment can make it difficult to install personal solar or batteries. Renters are also likely to have difficulty installing energy-saving measures, such as solar or batteries, as they are likely to require approval from their real estate and/or landlord. They are also less likely to want to pay for these solutions out of pocket as they are not likely to be permanent living arrangements.

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Poor quality housing can also have a big impact on energy consumption. Around one in five households on a very low income are unable to keep comfortably warm in winter due to housing quality issues, such as poor heating and cracks in walls and floors. Renters are also more likely to have difficulty negotiating with landlords or real estates to repair or install up-to-date appliances that are more energy efficient to manage these issues.

The report also found notable increases in gas customers accessing tailored assistance. In December 2023 there were 66,571 gas customers receiving tailored assistance, an increase of 23 per cent compared to December 2022. For the same period, there was an 11 per cent increase in electricity customers receiving assistance.

Compliance and penalties The Victorian ESC undertakes compliance and enforcement activities – including fines, penalty notices and litigation – designed to protect consumers, especially those experiencing hardship. These activities are undertaken to deter future noncompliance, to ensure non-compliant businesses do not benefit from their conduct, and to enhance trust in the energy market.

In 2023, the commission issued a penalty notice to AGL for an alleged contravention of best offer rules and planned supply interruptions. In October 2023, AGL paid $799,656 in penalties for allegedly failing to provide Victorian energy customers with accurate information about their best offer.

The ESC alleged that 22 customers did not receive accurate best offer information that they were entitled to from AGL as a result of the alleged calculation errors by AGL. AGL reported the issue following enquiries from the commission, as part of the commission’s proactive program to monitor energy retailer compliance with customer best offer rules.

In October 2023, CitiPower was fined $406,824 in penalties for allegedly failing to notify 43 customers of two separate planned electricity supply interruptions in Brunswick and Carlton. One of the customers was a registered user of life support equipment.

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In December 2023, the commission commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of Victoria against both Sumo and Origin. It was the first time the commission commenced court proceedings seeking civil penalties, orders the entity contravened the provisions and other remedies, including adverse publicity orders.

It alleged that between 31 December 2021 and 12 August 2022, Sumo engaged in unlawful door-to-door marketing of energy contracts to at least 5,941 Victorians. The Electricity Industry Act 2000 and the Gas Industry Act 2001 prohibit electricity and gas retail licensees (or their agents) from calling on a domestic customer at their home to negotiate an electricity or gas contract. It is also alleged that Sumo signed up several customers to Sumo’s energy plans without obtaining their explicit informed consent.

The commission alleged Origin failed to meet its obligations under the life support and payment difficulty frameworks, which are designed to protect customers experiencing vulnerability.

Origin’s alleged breaches affected more than 30,000 customers between 2019 and 2023 and included the failure to continue the provision of payment assistance. The alleged life support breaches affected 11 customers who were put at increased risk from power interruptions. It also alleged that Origin failed to report breaches to the commission within the required timeframes.

Wrongful disconnections The commission notes that wrongful disconnections are a compliance and enforcement priority. The Electricity Distribution Code of Practice stipulates that an energy retailer should only disconnect electricity or gas supply as a last resort, and only after it has followed rules relating to disconnection.

Wrongful disconnections are disconnections that are found to have violated the code. Wrongful disconnections can be very distressing for customers and have a significant impact on customers’ physical and mental wellbeing. This is particularly important in the case of meter abolishment, as these types of disconnections involve the physical removal of the meter. This www.energymagazine.com.au

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means that reconnection of supply can take an extended period of time if the disconnection is not raised correctly, or is not at the request of an authorised person.

The March 2024 EMR found a significant increase in the number of wrongful disconnections between July to September 2023 and October to December 2023. 25 wrongful disconnections were self-reported by retailers in the period of July to September 2023, whilst 125 were reported for the October to December 2023 period.

The ESC said it was concerned by the large increase in the number of customers impacted by wrongful disconnections between July and December 2023, and said that energy retailers must have comprehensive controls in place to ensure customers are only ever disconnected in line with the rules. The commission conducted compliance reviews on aspects of three key retailers’ disconnection processes in 2023 and published the findings on the commission’s website.

Service level payments The guaranteed service level (GSL) that energy customers can expect is set out in the Electricity Distribution Code of Practice.

The purpose of the GSL is to define the minimum service levels that distributors are required to provide to customers, and the payments that distributors are required to make to customers if they fail to meet those minimum service levels.

Victorian electricity distributors must report their compliance and performance to the ESC in accordance with the GSL scheme. GSL payments are designed to acknowledge the inconvenience customers experience when their distributor does not meet basic service levels. Events that fall under the GSL include unplanned outages, late or missed appointments, and delays to new connections.

In the March 2024 EMR, the ESC published GSL scheme performance results from energy distributors for the first time.

The performance results detailed GSL payment categories and how much each energy distributor paid in total to customers in 2021–22 and 2022–23. www.energymagazine.com.au

Distributors paid approximately $22 million in total to Victorian customers for failing to meet the GSL requirements in the 2021–22 financial year. In the 2022–23 financial year, that figure dropped to approximately $11.5 million. This comparison shows that customers received a more reliable energy supply in 2022–23 compared to 2021–22. The ESC credited this reduction primarily to a substantial decrease in major event day payments.

Major event day payments were introduced into the GSL scheme in 2021. Major event day payments are payments that are made following extreme weather events, such as fires or storms, that have broad impacts on the electricity network. This is because GSL payments may not be payable if unplanned outages are found to be caused by events outside a distributor’s control. The next version of the EMR report will include data from 2023–24, including several periods when Victoria experienced extreme weather that had a significant impact on electricity supply. The ESC said this data will be published in March 2025.

New consumer resources The ESC has released its Victorian Energy Market Dashboard, a tool that consumers can use to find out key facts about the energy industry. The dashboard displays information on Victorian energy retailers’ performance in terms of their service to customers, as well as relative to other energy providers.

Customers can view information such as a retailers’ customer service standards and assistance for customers in payment difficulty. The dashboard uses quarterly data from reports submitted by retailers.

The commission has also developed and published the Land Access Code of Practice, which came into effect on 1 March 2024. The code is designed to regulate the rules and processes that transmission companies must follow when accessing or seeking to access private land. The code introduces obligations on transmission companies, with the purpose of minimising the impacts of land access and improving consultation with affected parties, including landowners and occupiers.

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CONSUMERS AND RETAIL Energy Networks Australia’s Energy Network Conference and Exhibition is a biannual event that brings together leading experts, members and stakeholders from within the energy industry. Held in Adelaide in late March, this year’s conference discussed the transformation of the energy grid to provide services and value that the consumers of the 21st century demand. One of the conference’s keynote speakers was Laura Sandys, Chair of the UK Government’s Energy Data and Digitalisation Taskforces and a renowned expert in energy and sustainability.

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PARTICIPANTS, NOT RECIPIENTS: CONSUMERS HOLD THE KEY TO AUSTRALIA’S RENEWABLE POWER

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M

s Sandys’ illustrious career has led her to become a celebrated figure within the energy industry for her influential role in shaping sustainability and energy policy. As well as her work with the UK Government, Ms Sandys is the Chair of the Green Alliance and has served as a non-executive director at SSE Transmission, Highview Power and more.

Her keynote address at the conference, From brawn to brains: planning from the future, looked at redesigning the energy system with a focus on customer engagement. The energy system is changing from a topdown model to something much more complex, demand-led and digitalised, with new assets and actors that will drive change and networks at its heart. Ms Sandys believes that Australia has an opportunity to take the lead in this new world of energy – but action must be taken if this position is to be realised.

Transformation over transition “I'm going to give you a little perspective about how one might want to look at the energy transformation. I prefer the word transformation to transition. And I talk about planning from the future. You guys in the networks world are absolutely crucial to this transformation. But you're also in the world of quite long-term investments, of long-term strategies.

In many ways, I would urge you to

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be less incremental and much more transformational in all your thinking.

“We have, in many ways, the old system, the politicians, the regulation… some of the industry sits in the middle, trying to manage, and in some ways, its mindset is sat in the past, but knowing that the future is almost here. I would say to South Australia, and other parts of Australia, tomorrow happens very, very quickly. It is a hockey stick, and it starts to emerge before you even see it. And you guys in the networks world, you're gonna have to manage it. You've been below the surface. Nobody's really heard about you, but they're starting to. Politicians are starting to take notice. Customers want connections. There's a whole dynamic here which is putting you really in the spotlight,” Ms Sandys said in the opening of her keynote address.

A key point in Ms Sandys’ speech was the polarity between traditional ways of managing energy and what is needed for modern network transformation. Looking at Australia, the UK and other parts of the world, Ms Sandys dissected the current energy climate and shed light on the shortfalls of current systems, particularly in relation to consumers.

Ms Sandys referred to a quote from Octopus Energy Managing Director, Ari Sargent, which said, “Designed and built by engineers, bastardised by economists and marketers, the power industry continues to deliver one of the most successful consumer confusion programmes of all time.”

“Now, let's try and rid ourselves of this confusion as we go forward. Everything is location-based. Thinking about Western Australia in comparison to what's going on in Melbourne – there are particular, tailored, answers. No silver bullet is going to deliver you the one set answer. It is all about blending and system design.

“This is the new world of the consumer, the customer. And in particular, think about commercial and industrial consumers as well. Look at our regulator – moving from a very linear, a vanilla system design, to having to manage all these different moving parts. This is a very, very big culture change. And in the UK, we are moving from 400 people in the energy sector. I know there are 1,200 here today. This is a much bigger cohort.

400 people run the energy sector in the UK today. They all know each other's golf handicap. What a surprise. And we are moving to 100 million actions and assets.

“If you think that every EV car can do three things, this is a massive change in complexity, in interrelationship, in segmentation. And customers are going to want to be serviced across this complexity,” Ms Sandys explained.

Encouraging consumer participation Ms Sandys spoke to the challenges of trying to squeeze a new energy system designed around renewables into a paradigm designed for fossil fuels.

Noting the difference between a system designed for commodities and a system

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designed for capital assets, Ms Sandys said energy customers need to stop being seen as simply a meter point.

“Blending assets is the future. You've got to start blending your electrons with long duration storage with batteries.

You’ve got to start to deliver solutions, rather than commodities. In the UK, we’ve got massive problems with balancing rocketing. Distributed assets are undervalued in the sense of the whole system value. Demand is where the action is going to be in a renewable, weather-based system.”

Ms Sandys identified key drivers of change in the industry, including system gaps, new market players, new business models and processes, and new people and skills.

“When we look at the optimization of the energy sector, we need to understand that we need different vectors, different timescales and different technologies.

There isn't one solution. There's lots of them, and they need to be blended.

Efficiency in the system is also important.

The new market player, customers, demand is equal to supply. The physics tells us in electricity that that's the case, markets tell us, but certainly in the UK, and I'm sure in Australia, customers have been more or less ignored. They are not an important part of the system, they are recipients. They're now going to be participants.

“We are still obsessed with the levelised cost of electricity. And when

one starts to look at that, it really isn't reflective of this capital-based asset system that we're moving to. Every time you put a demand option on the system, you reduce costs for everybody, not just for those people with those assets.

And there are models for optimization.

We think we're going through this extraordinary transformation as if it has never been done before. If we look beyond energy, we start to see that it has been done before,” Ms Sandys said.

Network interdependence Ms Sandys used electric vehicles (EVs) as an example of how energy consumers have become active participants in energy networks. She spoke of the need to adapt with these renewable technologies and to integrate them into the network, rather than seeing them as a threat to the system – because they’re only going to increase.

“In the UK, by 2035, the number of EVs on the system will be the equivalent of three nuclear power stations. So either those EVs could be a parasite on the system and we will have to build three nuclear power stations, or we have to integrate them into the energy sector and they become an asset. These are choices we've got to start making today. And like you've seen in South Australia, in terms of solar PV, you're not going to stop these customers buying this stuff. You cannot tell people that they can't have an EV car.

“I love the ideas that you're doing in Western Australia, where you're creating micro grids, independence and interdependence. Those are quite important balancing acts that are going to be really exciting. Are we rewarding customers appropriately? Customers are not getting that value of the displaced reinforcement, they're not getting the value of the reduced curtailment costs.

They are just getting a wholesale value.

And that's not going to be good enough if we really want to encourage them.

“And this is the potential – if one starts to think from the demand side, from the customer side, this could be a domestic customer, an industrial customer, you've got a whole range of different options.

We need business models, we need retailers who actually understand how to unlock that and work with you as networks to build those propositions. It will optimise the system, but importantly, it will give you a social licence to spend money, because customers have actually become part of the system and are benefiting from it,” Ms Sandys said.

It’s clear that consumers will be an important part of transforming Australia’s energy sector, and have lots to offer energy networks and companies.

Encouraging network interdependence strengthens energy for all, whilst balancing costs and achieving renewable energy targets.

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A NEW PHASE:

THE CHANGING LANDSCAPE OF ENERGY TARIFFS Image: Surasack Jailak/Shutterstock.com

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The ways we generate, distribute and use electricity are changing and energy tariffs have become an increasing focus in the Australian landscape, particularly at a time when the cost of living is already high. Network tariff reform is designed to encourage more efficient use of energy networks, and each customer will suit a different tariff type.

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A

n energy tariff is the way and the amount a consumer is charged for their energy usage.

Different energy tariffs charge different amounts for usage, with some tariffs offering a static rate and others offering dynamic rates that may vary based on a variety of factors. In Australia, the different types of energy tariffs commonly used by energy companies are single rate, controlled load, demand and time of use. Each of these tariffs has its own benefits and drawbacks – no single tariff is necessarily better or suitable for every customer.

Energy distributors charge network tariffs to retailers, who then pass these costs on to their customers. The final price charged to electricity consumers is determined by how the retailer responds to the price signals in the network tariff and how the retailer chooses to repackage the network tariff in its retail offer. Retailers may package network tariffs into their retail offer exactly as it occurs in the network tariff price signals, or they may choose to offer customers combinations of retail tariffs and storage or other demand management options that result in different tariffs.

The National Electricity Rules mandate distributors to gradually align their tariffs with the actual expenses associated with serving their consumers, known as cost reflection. This may involve transitioning from flat-rate tariffs to ones that vary based on peak and off-peak usage times, known as time-of-use tariffs.

Energy tariffs serve as a means for distributors to recoup revenue and fund the construction, operation, and upkeep of the infrastructure needed for electricity transmission. The Australian Energy Regulator oversees these tariffs on an annual basis to ensure consumers are not overcharged and that electricity services remain secure and dependable.

Network tariff reform According to the Australian Energy Regulator (AER), network tariff reform is designed to encourage more efficient use of networks, which in turn helps to reduce the need for additional investment and/or the amount of network infrastructure that

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needs to be maintained. Customers ultimately pay for these upgrades, so a tariff reform that focuses on more efficient use of the network is designed to lead to lower network costs for all energy customers.

Energy distributors are required to submit a tariff structure statement (TSS) to the AER for approval in each regulatory period. The TSS sets out the distributor’s proposed strategies to progress network tariff reform. The AER then assesses these proposals, looking at a number of factors including network circumstances, such as location or number of energy customers, the expected impact on customers, and customer understanding.

The AER said that “the pace of progress is informed by a number of factors, including the roll out of smart meters which make it possible to record when energy is used at different times of the day. Smart meters can help to detect usage patterns and thus inform best practice for tariff reform. It also means tariff reform strategies can evolve as stakeholder understanding develops and new technologies and service models emerge.”

Time-of-use tariffs Time-of-use tariffs mean that the amount you are charged for your energy usage varies depending on when you use it.

Time-of-use tariffs generally involve off-peak, peak and shoulder times, each with a different charge for electricity use. Off-peak times are the cheapest, and this rate tends to be offered during the day and on weekends. Peak times generally refer to mornings and evenings, Monday to Friday. Shoulder times are the times in between peak and off-peak times, and are generally charged at a rate between the peak and off-peak rates.

The purpose behind time-of-use tariffs is to incentivise energy users away from peak times. Traditionally, this method has been used to try and reduce the possibility of overload on the grid during peak times, ensuring that a steady supply of electricity is available even during high demand periods. As we introduce more and more solar energy to the grid, time-of-use tariffs are becoming more important to grid stabilisation.

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CONSUMERS AND RETAIL

It’s important for all customers to consider their usage patterns when selecting an energy plan, as choosing a plan that doesn’t best suit your usage pattern can result in unexpectedly high electricity bills. Understanding consumer usage can be difficult, but as smart meters and DER are further integrated into Australia’s energy grid, the best and fairest tariff for any customer is easier to discern. But as we integrate renewables further into our energy grid, there is another factor to consider: how do energy tariffs integrate renewable generation?

Incentivising renewables Solar energy is fast becoming a staple of Australia’s energy grid. The Clean Energy Council’s (CEC) latest Rooftop Solar and Storage Report found that rooftop solar now accounts for 11.2 per cent of Australia’s total electricity supply, making it the second largest source of renewable energy generation in Australia behind wind. Australia’s states and territories are hitting new milestones for solar energy uptake, with rooftop photovoltaic installations surpassing a total of 20GW in 2023. New South Wales broke the record for the highest annual installed capacity of any state ever recorded, with 970MW of new rooftop solar systems installed in 2023. The total number of rooftop solar installations in Queensland also surpassed the one million mark, the first Australian state to achieve this milestone.

While this is fantastic news from a renewable energy perspective, the big and relatively sudden increase in solar energy in the grid does present some challenges. Naturally, solar energy relies on the sun to produce energy – which is great for use during the day, but what happens when the sun goes down? Battery storage has a role to play, but until Australia’s energy grid has enough battery power to withdraw and release all the energy generated by solar, it means some energy is likely to go to waste.

This is where TOU tariffs shine. Incentivising energy customers to use more energy during the day with cheaper energy costs has the additional benefit of better utilising solar that is generated during these times. As a consumer, taking advantage of lower energy rates during the day not only saves money www.energymagazine.com.au

– it also contributes to the use of renewables by utilising the abundant solar that is generated during this time.

In Western Australia, similar tariff structures have been introduced for other types of renewables and distributed energy resources (DER). As part of its Electric Vehicle (EV) Strategy, the Western Australia government has introduced smart chargers can that be used for charging EVs at home quickly and at convenient times. A smart charger gives the consumer the power to decide when to charge, such as maximising EV charging at times when the demand for electricity is low – saving on electricity costs for customers on a time of use tariff. Stateowned energy company, Synergy, has developed time-of-use energy tariffs designed to incentivise EV owners to recharge their EVs overnight or in the middle of the day, to better align with renewable energy output and network availability.

Feed-in tariffs Feed-in tariffs are the other side of the coin – these are the tariffs that are paid to people who send energy back into the grid. A residence or business that generates energy may choose to send excess electricity back into the grid, and receive a payment for doing so. Feed-in tariffs vary, however, like regular energy tariffs, many retailers and gentailers offer the option of time-varying feed-in tariffs, meaning that solar discharged back into the grid during peak periods is paid at a higher rate than electricity discharged during off-peak times.

Just as consumers are incentivised to use energy outside of peak times, consumers discharging energy back into the grid are incentivised to do so during peak periods, to better support grid stability and ensure renewable energy is integrated into the energy grid.

Consumers have a huge role to play in transitioning Australia’s electricity grid to 100 per cent renewable energy, and, with the uptake in rooftop solar and other DER only increasing, the energy sector has to adapt the way it distributed and bills electricity to support and encourage this uptake.

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59

ASSET MANAGEMENT SPONSORED EDITORIAL

MINIMISING BUSHFIRE RISK THROUGH TRUSTED PARTNERSHIPS Following Victoria’s devastating 2009 bushfires, 45 substations in the highest bushfire risk areas in the state were mandated to install Rapid Earth Fault Current Limiter (REFCL) technology. This included electricity lines originating from Jemena’s Coolaroo Zone Substation. To undertake these significant works, Jemena partnered with Zinfra, a service provider they could trust to get the job done.

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REFCL is a network protection device installed within electrical substations and on the electrical network to limit fault currents. REFCL technology is able to detect when a power line has fallen to the ground and quickly reduce the voltage on the fallen line.

The Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) found that some of the 2009 fires were ignited by faulted power lines.

A taskforce established by the Victorian Government later identified REFCL technology as an effective way of reducing the risk of 22kV power lines from starting bushfires.

Following successful trials of REFCL technology, the Electricity Safety (Bushfire Mitigation) Regulations 2013 were amended in 2016, mandating that electricity companies achieve the “Required Capacity” of meeting specified voltage, current and thermal energy dissipation limits The Powerline Bush Safety Taskforce (PBST) estimated the relative reduction in the likelihood of multi-phase power lines starting bushfires to be approximately 70 per cent with the installation of REFCLs.

What does this mean for Jemena?

Jemena owns and operates one of five licensed electricity distribution networks in Victoria, covering more than 950km2 of north-west greater Melbourne.

It is a legislative requirement that Jemena ensures that all distribution lines originating from Coolaroo Zone Substation (COO) meets the technical performance requirements specified for voltage current and thermal energy dissipation limits. These requirements had to be met by 1 May 2023.

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This means Jemena has to install REFCL devices – currently the only technology that can achieve this performance standard – and partnered with Zinfra to deliver its design and construction.

For the substation and distribution works for Jemena, Zinfra’s Project and Infrastructure (P&I) team engaged civil subcontractors, Zinfra Overhead & Underground crews, and design subcontractors.

The overall scope of the project included the redevelopment of the Coolaroo Zone Substation, feeder hardening works, feeder balancing works, Kalkallo Mitigation and Distribution Works, Coolaroo Zone Mitigation and Distribution works, and REFCL Operating and Maintenance Procedure works. Zinfra began construction on the package of works in October 2021.

Delivering on promises Jemena and Zinfra maintain a strong relationship and have previously worked together on a number of projects. In December 2018, the two companies entered into the Jemena Electricity Services Agreement (JESA), outlining the services required from Zinfra to build and maintain Jemena’s electricity assets in Victoria.

Zinfra P&I provided a fixed price for the REFCL works under the JESA contract. Zinfra assessed Jemena’s scope of works from a tender perspective and approached subcontractors for design and civil works. Zinfra did its own estimation on the electrical installation and testing and commission works, and built up a risk adjusted tender price, which was then submitted to Jemena.

Project Manager, Nicholas Korlos said Zinfra’s approach to relationship management with a focus on communication, safety and innovation complements our technical aptitude, setting Zinfra apart from other providers in the market.

“Throughout the course of the project we would hold regular meetings with Jemena to ensure alignment on safety, quality, and timeliness of construction. Effective collaboration and open communication form a foundation for successful projects, and more importantly, trust in partnerships,” Mr Korlos said.

“Nonetheless, the backbone of this trust was formed by taking action on what we promised. We delivered on what we promised to do.”

Confident capabilities While Zinfra benefits from having an established relationship with Jemena, the company had the added benefit of having previously undertaken REFCL works across the AusNet network, proving its capability in delivering a project of this kind.

“Zinfra has previously undertaken REFCL works across the AusNet network. While REFCL isn't a one size fits all system, we pride ourselves on having a strong team that carries a wealth of www.energymagazine.com.au

SPONSORED EDITORIAL ASSET MANAGEMENT

knowledge in this space. This allowed us to implement valued engineering proposals with confidence,” Mr Korlos said.

Every substation is different and requires a custom installation, and Mr Korlos said Zinfra was able to provide innovative solutions for Jemena.

Zinfra introduced Jemena to a new way of operating by making the control building – the switch room in the substation where all of the protection and control equipment is – transportable, manufacturing it offsite, factory testing it offsite, then transporting it onsite and installing it using a large crane.

Mr Korlos said Jemena traditionally builds its control rooms as brick buildings and has them constructed on site. This can create complications because of the construction work and initial testing happening on site.

“The interface risk that you have when you've got people constructing a building on site, while other people are testing or commissioning in a relatively tight space, it just forms points of conflict that you want to avoid at all costs.

“Separating the two is the best way to go forward, and everyone agreed on that.”

Zinfra presented examples and construction methodologies from past projects to ensure that the use of the modular control rooms aligned with the relevant standards and regulations.

Mr Korlos said that given the hazards associated with working within zone substations, anything in these types of projects that reduces risk is hugely beneficial.

Zinfra also worked closely with the standards team, providing examples of previous projects where they had used transportable control buildings to ensure they all aligned with the relevant standards and regulations. It was a relatively new approach in Jemena’s space, but one that is now being adopted in future projects and plans.

Safety built into Zinfra’s DNA The REFCL installation involved a full team effort for Zinfra, and all personnel committed to its safety and success. Mr Korlos said at the project’s peak, up to 70 people could be on site between all of Zinfra’s commissioning and construction crews.

“We had a very strong safety record over the past two years.

In the zone substation there were zero lost time or medical treatment injuries; a great safety performance.”

Mr Korlos said there was a simple reason for the strong safety result.

“It's the fact that we care. It's no coincidence that these two words can be found in our group pillars alongside being better together and being accountable,” Mr Korlos said. www.energymagazine.com.au

“We strive together to achieve great outcomes, we value safety and wellbeing for ourselves, our community, and the environment. We accept our responsibility to deliver these commitments. I believe these values are a reflection of the DNA of the team.”

Digging deep on a critical project Electricity projects are always critical to the nation, but for the REFCL project – designed to reduce bushfire risk – was something closer to the hearts of the Zinfra team.

“Projects in the utilities industry come about for a myriad of reasons. Some are for expanding the supply of critical infrastructure to our ever-growing population, others are for simply upgrading or repairs of the existing network. All are necessary and of equal importance, and they require 100 per cent of our efforts,” Mr Korlos said.

“However, I think the whole team agrees that given an opportunity to work on a project that involves the reduction of bushfire risk allows us to dig a little deeper. After all, we love this country, we care for this country, and we need to protect the place that we call home.

“I'm proud to say that Zinfra Projects and Infrastructure successfully achieved the REFCL upgrade project practical work milestone on the 21st of April 2023. The remnant works on the distribution side, which were predominantly network upgrades, augmentations, and capitalisation of new assets were largely completed by the end of 2023.

The second and equally critical part of this project was the works required on the distribution network. To meet REFCL performance requirements, major reconfiguration works were required on 22kV distribution feeders coming out of several zone substations in and around the Coolaroo/Broadmeadows areas. This consisted of significant amounts of civil and electrical works to allow for reconfiguration of overhead systems and construction of underground feeders.

Mr Korlos said Jemena and Zinfra management and the field teams collaborated, shared their expertise, and that ultimately allowed the project to stay on course.

“I really believe the project truly was a testament to what we can achieve together. Success is no accident. It's born from hard work and perseverance.”

For more information, visit www.zinfra.com.au

June 2024 ISSUE 26

61

ASSET MANAGEMENT SPONSORED EDITORIAL

WHEN THE CONNECTION DROPS: KEEPING YOUR NETWORK UP AND RUNNING WITH PROACTIVE POWER MANAGEMENT Reliable power is critical for telecommunication companies and an outage can have devastating financial and reputational consequences. Here, we look at how proactive management of power generation assets can safeguard telecommunication infrastructure during unexpected emergencies.

T

he frustration is palpable. You're in the middle of a critical video conference, and the screen freezes. The internet connection vanishes, leaving you scrambling to reconnect. This scenario highlights the critical role of reliable power for telecommunication companies, ensuring uninterrupted service for their customers – whether it's voice calls or vital internet access.

This scenario is more than just an inconvenience; it's a potential network meltdown with significant financial and reputational consequences. The good news is, you don't have to navigate these situations alone.

Proactive power management: your silent guardian By partnering with a company that offers proactive facilities asset management, specifically for power generation, you can gain peace of mind knowing your telecommunication infrastructure is protected, even during unexpected emergencies.

Imagine a system like a smoke detector for your power grid.

Decon Corporation's advanced monitoring systems act as your silent guardian, identifying potential problems with your on-site power generation equipment before they cause an outage. This allows for early intervention and repairs, minimising downtime and keeping your customers connected – online and on the phone.

Skilled technicians: your rapid response team Even with the best monitoring, unforeseen events like storms or power surges can occur. Having a team of qualified mechanics, electricians, and engineers readily available ensures a swift response to any power issues. These professionals are prepared to tackle emergencies and restore power quickly, minimising disruption to your network.

Keeping connections alive in challenging environments Consider a telecommunications company operating in a remote location. A sudden power outage threatens to cripple its network, disrupting essential communication channels. This is precisely where proactive facilities asset management becomes a game-changer.

Decon Corporation's Facilities Asset Management division goes beyond just monitoring. The company designs custom power generation assets tailored to your specific needs. These assets could include robust generators, fuel storage solutions, and more. Once designed, the team efficiently deploys them to the field, ensuring they're strategically placed for optimal network coverage.

Decon Corporation’s advanced monitoring systems then keep a watchful eye on your equipment 24/7, allowing the team to identify and address potential issues remotely. This minimises the need for on-site intervention and with comprehensive maintenance services, your power generation assets will always be optimised for performance.

Innovative solutions for a connected future Technology is constantly evolving, and the power industry is no exception. Decon provides innovative solutions like the Smart Power Cell (SPC) to offer even greater resilience. These self-contained units, powered by renewable energy sources and advanced sodium metal chloride batteries, provide autonomous backup power.

When natural disasters strike and damage infrastructure, Decon Corporation’s Smart Power Cells are a lifeline. Their rugged design allows them to withstand challenging conditions, ensuring that communication remains constant, with both internet and phone service available, even in the toughest of circumstances. This eliminates the need for emergency services personnel to venture into disaster-stricken areas to otherwise install temporary generators, allowing for a faster and more efficient response.

Decon Corporation: your complete power solution partner In addition to the SPC, Decon offers a comprehensive suite of power generation assets, all meticulously designed, deployed, monitored, and maintained by our team of experts. This may include permanent generators, renewable power solutions, and other equipment specifically designed for the demanding needs of the telecommunications industry.

Don't wait for a network meltdown By partnering with a company that prioritises proactive facilities asset management for power generation, you can ensure your telecommunication infrastructure remains reliable and your customers stay connected, with uninterrupted phone service and internet access.

Decon Corporation’s Facilities Asset Management (FAM) division is built on a foundation of proactive monitoring, skilled personnel and innovative solutions specifically designed for the telecommunications industry. The company offers a complete power solution, from custom design and deployment to ongoing monitoring and maintenance.

Image: Decon

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FEATURES SCHEDULE & ADVERTISERS' INDEX September 2024

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Storage Decarbonisation Energy efficiency

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Bluescope Steel........................................................... 11

Schneider Electric..................................................... IBC

CSIRO................................................................... 14–15

Teledyne FLIR........................................................32–33

Danfoss.................................................................. OBC

thyssenkrupp Electrical Steel GmbH................................... 9

DECON Technologies............................................ 62–63

Tonkin + Taylor..................................................... 28–29

GRUNDFOS Pumps...............................................30–31

Toshiba International Corporation...........................11, IFC

R&J Batteries..........................................................12–13

Ventia........................................................................ 32

Regal Rexnord..............................................................7

Zinfra................................................................... 60–61

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