The world's most relied upon renewable energy source isn't wind or the sun - it's water. Worldwide hydroelectricity generation hit a record 4,306 terawatt hours (TWh) in 2019, the single greatest contribution from a renewable energy source in history. The International Hydropower Association concluded from their 2020 Hydropower Status report that the Covid-19 pandemic has underlined hydropower’s resilience and critical role in delivering clean, reliable and affordable energy, especially in [...]

At the 2020 CEC Clean Energy Forum last week, Minister for Energy and Emissions Reductions Angus Taylor noted that there has been significant interest in this years' national $70 million (ARENA) Renewable Hydrogen Development Round attracted 36 expressions of interest for funding towards projects with a total value of over $3 billion. Running concurrently, Tasmania's $50 million Renewable Hydrogen Fund, the biggest in the nation, is still open. Green hydrogen [...]

The City of Sydney has made headlines by announcing that "it now runs on 100% renewable energy". It has achieved this through a $60 million purchase of the electricity generated by two solar farms and a wind farm located hundreds of kilometers away. Physically, Sydney is still plugged into the New South Wales electricity grid that is over 80% generated by coal, gas and oil. Adelaide and Canberra have entered [...]

The Tasmanian Renewable Hydrogen Industry Development Funding Program is due to close on the 18th of August, 2020. Applicants are invited to submit expressions of interest for projects and feasibility studies related to renewable hydrogen production, storage, distribution, export and domestic use within Tasmania. Burnie has been identified as a potential hydrogen production hub. #cradlecoastgoodenergy #hereforgood The Tasmanian funding program compliments the $70 million national ARENA hydrogen funding program, which [...]

Tasmania's reliable hydro electricity generation already plays a key role in supporting supply and price stability in the National Electricity Market (NEM). Major events, such as the widespread bushfires earlier this year, result in the national transmission system being placed under immense stress. TransGrid's (NSW) Transmission Annual Planning Report highlights the growing need for significant transmission and interconnection upgrades to ensure widespread renewable energy generation can replace upcoming coal fired [...]

The last few months have shown that the foundations currently being laid to guide the growth of the renewable energy industry in the Cradle Coast will ensure its resilience and sustainability into the future. On the ground, construction has been continuing at Granville Harbour Wind Farm on the West Coast, while applications and approvals have been progressing for the Jim’s Plain and Robbins Island Renewable Energy Parks in Circular Head. [...]

The recent interruptions to businesses around the world and resulting supply impacts have brought the subject of supply chain sustainability and the risks of relying on a narrow customer base into focus. Can Marinus Link play a role in increasing the resilience of Tasmania's electricity supply? Although Tasmania has tens of thousands of commercial and hundreds of thousands of residential electricity customers, over 60% of the electricity consumed in Tasmania [...]

Today, the Prime Minister has announced that Marinus Link is one of 15 major national infrastructure projects that will be fast-tracked to speed up the approval process, under a bilateral model between the federal government and the states. Marinus Link, together with Battery of the Nation, were recently identified as “Regionally Important Projects” by the Cradle Coast Authority. For our region, these projects will stimulate economic activity and investment that [...]