AGL Energy is to tender for 1.2GW of new battery storage by 2024

 

AGL's Nyngan Solar Farm (source: RenewEconomy)

AGL Energy of Australia plans to diversify its energy portfolio into clean energy options after receiving lower profits from its coal generators. It already has some large solar and wind farms and plans to add 1.2GW of battery storage to some of these renewable energy farms by 2024. 

AGL’s chief operation officer, Markus Brokhof, said “Although energy prices are lower, we still see an opportunity to invest as the composition of the portfolio shifts away from coal towards the new firmed renewable energy generation the market will need.” “AGL is to optimise dispatchable generation, support investment in firmed renewables and continue to invest in the accelerating emergence of batteries and other energy storage technologies.” 

Read more: 

- AGL targets 1.2GW of new battery storage by 2024, plans tender. RenewEconomy, August 13, 2020. 

- NSW to fund four new big battery projects as it readies to flick switch from coal. RenewEconomy, August 15, 2020. 

- AGL says batteries starting to compete with gas generators for peaking services. RenewEconomy, August 17, 2020.

 

ACT electricity prices to drop after going 100% renewable

Majura Solar Farm, Canberra. (Photo Julie May)

 ACT (Australian Capital Territory) households are set to enjoy an average 2.56 per cent drop in electricity prices from 1 July, after Canberra succeeded in reaching its 100 per cent renewable electricity target.

 

The territory has had a reduction in the wholesale electricity prices due to a 100 per cent transition to renewable electricity and the falling costs of renewable energy certificates. This will be passed onto the consumers with a reduction in their electricity prices.

 

The ACT officially received its transition to 100 percent renewable electricity in October 2019.  The price reduction will save the average household $43 on their electricity bills in a year.

 

Read more: ACT electricity prices to drop after reaching 100% renewable target. RenewEconomy, June 9, 2020.

Can “solar hydro" replace coal and gas-fired power stations?

Organic Rankine Cycle (Source: Applied Sciences, 9 (1) 49, 2019)

RayGen, with the support of AREA (Australian Renewable Energy Agency) and in collaboration with other companies, is on-track to test a 50MWh “solar hydro” project in NW Victoria. The plan is to eventually develop a 200MW solar power plant with around 100MW/1000MWh storage. This is enough to help replace retiring coal and gas fired power stations.

The plant will consist of mechanical mirrors on the ground concentrating sunlight and heat to RayGen’s efficient collector on a raised tower. The collector consists of mirrors and super-efficient PV modules which can collect both light and heat. The specialist panels convert about 30 per cent of the sunlight to electricity and capture around 60 percent of the excess heat. 

The heat is stored as hot (92^°C) water in one reservoir while the electricity is used to chill water to 2^°C, which is stored in a cold reservoir. Between the two tanks is the Organic Rankine Cycle system (see above diagram), which has a special organic fluid circling within it. At the evaporator, the fluid is heated to a gas by the stored hot water which then drives a turbine to generate electricity. The organic gas then passes to the condenser where it is cooled back to a liquid by the stored cold water. 

With the organic fluid coming to boil at a lower temperature than water, it means that the system has a high efficiency. Since the water temperature differences are stored like a battery in the reservoirs, the system can generate electricity when required. “The temperature difference of about 90^°C has a similar energy storage capacity as pumped hydro with a height of 1000 metres – so really, really big pumped hydro.” says RayGen’s Will Mosley. “RayGen is able to deliver the economics of pumped hydro and the flexibility of batteries.” (RenewEconomy) 

Read more: 
- RayGen edges closer to “solar hydro” success with new strategic partnerships. RenewEconomy, April 16, 2020. 
- World-leading solar technology born in Melbourne, that’s ultra-cool. ARENAWire, September 28, 2017. 
- Solar power plant phase 1. ARENA, January 2020. 
- Renewable energy storage, solar power technology. RayGen

Fukushima’s waste agricultural land to become huge renewable energy hub

Source: Nikkei Asian Review

In Fukushima, at the site of the nuclear reactor meltdown in 2011, the local Prefecture plan to convert the resulting unusable agricultural land into a massive renewable energy hub. The project is to have 11 solar farms and 10 wind farms over the large area which will produce 600MW of electricity for metropolitan Tokyo as the nuclear plant similarly did previously.

The project has the backing of the Japanese federal government. Work was due to commenced this January and is due for completion in 2024. It will help Japan reduce its carbon emissions.

However, Japan has a long way to go in the energy sector as it is hoping to restart many of its nuclear reactors, despite local resistance, and still relies on a lot of coal power so is a large importer of coal. (The Guardian).

Read more: 

- Fukushima to be reborn as $2.7bn wind and solar hub. Nikkei Asian Review, November 10, 2019.

- Fukushima to turn unusable farmland into wind and solar “mega park”. RenewEconomy, November 12, 2019. 

- Fukushima unveils plans to become renewable energy hub. The Guardian, January 5, 2020.