A new type of thermal storage material, housed in blocks, could see coal-fired power stations converted to run entirely fossil-fuel free, according to the University of Newcastle. Patented by the university, the Miscibility Gaps Alloy (MGA) blocks are capable of receiving energy generated by renewables and storing it as thermal energy. Work is underway to enable the blocks to be retrof...
The Ensham coal mine near Emerald may host a ‘biomass hub’ under a renewable energy initiative by owner Idemitsu Australia Resources. Idemitsu Renewable Developments Australia (IRDA) is investing $200,000 in a trial to assess the viability of producing a fully renewable biomass product that could be used with coal to reduce carbon emissions from power stations. The trial will id...
BHP has signed a deal that will see it meet half of the electricity needs across its Queensland coal mines from low-emissions sources, including solar and wind. The company says the renewable power purchasing agreement will help it halve emissions from electricity use in its Queensland operations by 2025, based on FY2020 levels. The agreement, with state-owned clean energy generator and re...
A motion in the Senate to block funding for the feasibility study for a 1GW High Efficiency, Low Emission (HELE) coal-fired power station in Collinsville has failed. Federal Member for Capricornia Michelle Landry said the Labor and Greens alliance in the Senate had failed to win enough support for a disallowance motion for the legislative instrument to provide $3.3 million in funding to comple...
Construction is kicking off on a multimillion-dollar solar farm between Chinchilla and Miles, creating 400 jobs from this month. Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham today announced that Hana Financial Investment would build the 162 megawatt Columboola Solar Farm. It came as UK-based project developers Luminous Energy announced financial close on the solar farm project and its concurrent sale...
A sales deal with Stanwell Corporation has opened the way for construction to kick off next year on the $1.5 billion Clarke Creek wind farm. Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the project was expected to create 350 jobs. Partners Lacour Energy and Goldwind are behind the planned wind farm, to be built about 150 km north-west of Rockhampton near Marlborough. They have sealed an agree...
CS Energy has signed an offtake agreement to purchase a proportion of the renewable energy produced at the University of Queensland’s 64 megawatt Warwick Solar Farm. Energy generated by the project is used by UQ to offset its own energy needs, with any surplus being sold into the market – a portion of which will now be supplied to CS Energy. CS Energy chief executive officer Andrew Bill...
The State Government has committed $145 million for the creation of three Queensland Renewable Energy Zones located in southern, central and northern Queensland. “With the right support from governments, these zones will help connect new renewable energy to our power network, and attract industries wanting new energy to a series of connected commercial and industrial power hubs across the st...
The State Government is backing a pre-feasibilty study for a new 500km gas pipeline to connect gas reserves in the Bowen Basin to the east coast domestic market and overseas customers. It will contribute $5 million for the study as part of the recovery plan for Central Queensland, and is seeking a further $5 million in matched funding from the Australian Government. The pipeline project cou...
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