Energy

Lower electric costs for customers and more reliable sustainable energy could be some of the benefits of a new study by the University of Adelaide researchers who investigated how predictable solar or wind energy generation is and its impact on electricity market income.

The Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association (APPEA) chief executive Samantha McCulloch has underscored the role of natural gas in achieving net zero while also powering Australian manufacturing, in response to the planned tightening of the Safeguard Mechanism, which ignores the central role of natural gas in meeting Australia’s climate goals.

Melbourne-based mining company BHP engineering firm Hatch have inked an agreement to design an electric smelting furnace pilot (ESF) plant with a plan to construct the facility in Australia.

Melbourne-based IFM Investors announced that the IFM Net Zero Infrastructure Fund (“NZIF”) has completed the acquisition of a majority interest in GreenGasUSA, a US-based renewable natural gas (RNG) developer, owner and operator.

Australia's revenue potential from building a battery industry has doubled to A$16.9 billion in the last 18 months, emphasising the sector's rapid growth and the need of taking action, according to a report backed by government and battery industry research group Future Battery Industries.

Bosch announced that customers who use the company's charging services already have access to nearly 450,000 publicly available charge points in 30 European countries – claimed as one of the largest charging networks in Europe. 

A new study led by the University of South Australia has proposed a comprehensive product stewardship scheme for solar panels, which the Federal Government prioritised several years ago.

Minister for Mining and Industry Nicole Manison said that recent data found the cost of critical minerals exploration in the Northern Territory increased by about 30 per cent in 2022 to $198.6 million –up from $153.4 million in 2021. 

A new set of reports has presented a crucial roadmap for moving Australia toward a circular economy, outlining the opportunities to use design to enhance the sustainability of manufacturing methods, materials, products, and business models across local industries, as announced by RMIT university.

The Western Australian government has signed an agreement with a South Korean organisation to establish a cooperative framework for the exchange of scientific and technical knowledge across the entire mining value chain with a particular focus on critical minerals.