News & Discussion: Electricity Infrastructure

[SRW]

Damn, Port Augusta solar thermal not going ahead:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-05/ ... a/10973948

[SBD]

Solar Reserve's website has not been updated with the news that they aren't going to build it yet.
https://www.solarreserve.com/en/global- ... csp/aurora
I wonder if it still has the money lent/given by state and federal governments and can be made to give it back if they don't deliver their end of the deal. SA government now has to buy its future electricity from someone else.

[PeFe]

AGL is proposing a pumped hydro facility at a mine located between Mt Barker and Murray Bridge.
From In Daily

Pumped hydro future planned for Kanmantoo's big pit

Australian energy generator AGL has secured the right to develop, own and operate a 250-megawatt pumped hydro energy storage project at Hillgrove Resources Limited’s Kanmantoo copper mine in the Adelaide Hills.


AGL aims to build a pumped hydro energy storage system in Hillgrove Resource's Kanmantoo big pit by 2024. Photo: supplied
The contract allows AGL to transform their Kanmantoo open pit mine into a pumped hydro facility, while Hillgrove will retain processing and mining rights outside the Giant Pit.

AGL’s Executive General Manager of Wholesale Markets Richard Wrightson said the signing of binding agreements was the start of a multiple stage process to progress the project, including the lodgement of a development application in 2020.

“If we proceed and the project is approved, it would be an important addition to our technology mix in South Australia, where we have significant wind and thermal generation,” he said.

“It would help us to meet the changing needs of the South Australian energy market, in which energy storage assets are likely to be needed to provide dispatchable capacity as renewables generation increases over coming years.

“If all approvals are received, we expect the project to be complete and operating by 2024.”

Full article : https://indaily.com.au/news/business/20 ... s-big-pit/

This is the fifth proposed pumped hydro project in recent years....the South Australian government is currently assessing the other proposals to see which one (or ones) they will support.

The other proposals are :
1) Highbury Pumped Hydro (in the Adelaide Hills behind the Modbury/Tea Tree Gully area)
2) Goat Hill (Port Augusta)
3) Cultana (Whyalla)
4) Baroota (30 kms north east of Port Germein in the southern Flinders Ranges)

With the failure of the Solar Reserve Port Augusta proposal, there is a great opportunity for South Australia to grasp the economic opportunity for "storage" to add to the mix of renewable energy.

Should 2 or 3 of these proposals get up, then South Australia will have a chance to become "energy self-sufficient", lessening the reliance on interstate connectors and gas for energy when renewables are low.

Also its a chance for the South Australian Liberal government to show some leadership on the transition to "clean energy", not just piggy-backing on the previous Labor government's initiatives.

[PeFe]

Oooops......forgot one other pumped hydro proposal !

- Middleback Ranges (west of Whyalla) using a disused mine. This is part of Gupta's plans.

[PeFe]

Lincoln Gap wind farm, near Port Augusta, has started adding power to the grid. A few financial issues going on in the background.
From Renew Economy

Lincoln Gap wind farm delivers first power to grid as it deals with Senvion issues



The 212MW Lincoln Gap wind farm, located near Port Augusta in South Australia, has exported its first energy generation as project owner Nexif Energy said it had intervened to keep the project on track while Senvion sorts out its financial problems.

The Lincoln Gap wind farm is one of the biggest new renewable energy developments in the state, and one of a bunch of new projects that will likely take the share of renewable energy to around 70 per cent within a few years.

Lincoln Gap will combine the wind farm with a 10MWh battery storage installation, which could be expanded over time. The first of the Fluence batteries arrive tomorrow, and the installation will be complete by the end of May, project manager Andrew Houston told RenewEconomy.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/lincoln-gap ... ues-38370/

[PeFe]

Interesting article from Renew Economy discussing issues surrounding power contracts when the wholesale price of electricity goes "negative" and power is unable to be exported east due to maintenance on the interstate connectors.

South Australia solar farms switch off as prices fall below zero

The two biggest solar farms in South Australia were switched off for long periods this week as wholesale prices fell below zero – the result, apparently, of new “zero price clauses” in power purchase contracts.

As RenewEconomy reported on Tuesday, and updated on Wednesday, wholesale prices in South Australia fell below zero for extended periods on Tuesday (nearly six hours), and on Wednesday (nearly four hours).

This was the result of high wind and solar output, as well as relatively low demand, and export limits (down to 50MW) on the main link to Victoria because of maintenance works, which meant that excess renewable production could not be traded interstate.



As Dylan McConnell, from the Climate and Energy College in Melbourne, points out, and illustrates with the graph above from the OpenNem resource, the state’s two biggest solar farms both switched off power on Wednesday.

The Bungala One and the semi-complete Bungala 2 projects cut output from around 1030am, ahead of the anticipated zero pricing event, while the newly-complete Tailem Bend solar farm cut power off on both Tuesday and Wednesday from around 11am as the prices hit zero. Both projects were offline for nearly six hours on Wednesday.

Both the 220MW Bungala projects and the 95MW Tailem Bend projects have long term power purchase agreements with Orign Energy and Snowy Hydro respectively.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/south-austr ... ero-26168/

[SBD]

That looks like a good argument for the NSW interconnector, since the NSW prices went UP during that period (and Victoria's looks to have been stable).

[PeFe]

Blow me down dead but I'm posting an article on renewable energy from a News Corp paper..........well it is The Advertiser (who in general don't want to shit in their own backyard.................their eastern states masters will do that for them)

I doubt whether this will turn up in The Australian or The Daily Telegraph or The Sun herald with such a positive note.

Remember Rupert Murdoch hates renewables and encourages his journalists to write articles "disputing" the facts of global warming and they dont want South Australia to succeed with the conversion to renewables because "everyone else will do it" and dont forget that that Sydney's Daily Telegraph once ran an article describing South Australia as "Australia's Gaza strip"

Anyway the article is defintely a good read (with a nice map of the proposed NSW interconnector)

Solar farms to gain as SA-NSW powerline project nears decision time

Solar energy projects worth billions of dollars and hundreds of jobs stand to gain from construction of the NSW-South Australia electricity interconnector.

The most advanced project, Solar River, is close to finalising funding and a deal for purchase of energy it generates from its farm near Robertstown.

The interconnector would “help unlock the entire region for solar”, Solar River chief executive Jason May said.

“We’ll be making an announcement shortly about a power purchasing agreement which is for many years,” he said.

“We’re very happy.”

The planned $1.53 billion interconnector is now being considered by electricity authorities with proponent ElectraNet aiming to have it up and running by 2022.

The transmission company estimates it will cut $66 a year from SA residential customers’ bills.



A map of the SA-NSW interconnector route.
The State Government, which backs the project, says benefits will be even broader.

“Not only will the nation-building interconnector deliver cheaper electricity to SA households but it will attract new investment in renewable energy projects that will create good jobs along its 900km route,” Energy and Mining Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan said.

“The 900MW SA-NSW interconnector will be a freeway for cheaper, cleaner electricity whilst improving reliability of supply in both states by closing the loop on SA’s connection to the national grid.”

Four huge solar farms — three in SA and one in NSW — are planned on the route of the line which stretches from Robertstown in SA’s Mid North and Wagga Wagga in NSW.

ElectraNet chief executive Steve Masters said the route passed through areas designated by the Australian Energy Market Operator as renewable energy zones.

“Future development of renewable energy projects in the Mid-North of our state is largely dependent upon having additional interconnection,” he said.

“The proposed pathway for Project EnergyConnect (the SA-NSW interconnector) has been optimised to align with those renewable energy resources.

“What is clear from the transitioning Australian energy market is that we can’t afford to be ‘just in time’ with transmission.”

Full article : https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/sou ... 2ace54088c

[PeFe]

Battery at Lake Bonney wind farm is running behind schedule.

Tesla big battery at Lake Bonney wind farm faces connection delays

The latest Tesla big battery to be installed in Australia’s main grid – at the Lake Bonney wind farm in South Australia – is facing connection delays and is now not likely to be completed until the September quarter.

Infigen Energy, which is installing the 25MW/52MWh battery, using Tesla Powerpacks, at the 275MW Lake Bonney wind farm, had expected the first stage of the battery to be completed in February and the second stage in May.

But in its first quarter production report, released last week, Infigen reveals that while the “physical installation” of the $38 million battery is substantially complete, including the inverters and related balance of plant, connection issues are still being worked through.



“Studies are continuing between Infigen, the market operator and the network service provider in relation to finalising connection and access to the electricity grid,” Infigen says in its statement.

“Based on progress to date, full commercial operation of the BESS is now expected in Q1 FY20.” Which is the September quarter. As recently as February, the company said the battery should be commissioned in the current quarter.

Infigen is not the only company facing delays due to connection issues with either the market operator, the local networks service provider, or both. Connection costs and delays have caused mayhem in certain parts of the market, causing cost blowouts in a number of projects across the country.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/tesla-big-b ... ays-23158/

[PeFe]

Another battery proposal for Port Augusta.

CellCube to build huge grid scale vanadium battery in South Australia

Renewables firm Pangea Energy and vanadium battery producer CellCube have signed an agreement to build a 50MW/200MWh battery storage system alongside a solar farm in South Australia.

Construction of the grid-scale battery is expected to begin before the end of the year, with plans to be operational in 2020.

Pangea Energy is part of Sen Tek Energy Solutions, a multinational renewable energy project developer in South East Asia. It signed the letter of intent with Canadian energy storage systems manufacturer CellCube this week.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/cellcube-to ... lia-86190/

[PeFe]

Gupta's battery plan for Port Augusta has been revealed.
From Renew Economy

Gupta seeks regulatory approval for 135MW battery near Port Augusta

Sanjeev Gupta’s energy offshoot has sought formal regulatory approval for his proposed 135MW/100MWh battery to be located near Port Augusta, part of a suite of initiatives that include the 280MW Cultana solar farm and a major pumped hydro storage installation to help power the Whyalla steelworks.

The formal application for the battery lodged with the Essential Services Commission coincides with a similar application for the Cultana solar farm, and indicates that Gupta, and his majority owned Simec Zen Energy is moving forward with the green energy transformation that underpinned his purchase of the steelworks in 2017.

The battery appears to have had various configurations – and may still change depending on other investments by third parties, and the final configuration of the pumped hydro scheme that is planned for an old iron ore mine in the Middleback Ranges near Whyalla, and which is a short-listed candidate for the federal government’s underwriting new generation investment (UNGI) scheme.

he application filed to the ESC nominates a capacity of 135MW/100MWh for the battery, which it says will be a lithium-ion battery system “sourced from an internationally recognised Tier 1 manufacturer”, and the equipment will include batteries, modules, racks and BMS (battery management system) integrated into existing building structure.

A battery of that size will beat the Tesla big battery – currently the world’s biggest lithium-ion battery at 100MW/129MWh – in capacity terms, but not storage. Other battery proposals, however, are putting more emphasis on storage rather than capacity, such as the 50MW/210MWh proposed for the Twin Creek wind project.

Full article : https://reneweconomy.com.au/gupta-seeks ... sta-83018/

[PeFe]

Gupta has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the Cultana solar farm.

Shanghai Electric to build Gupta’s 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm
The Chinese electrical equipment giant will build the first project of Simec Energy Australia’s landmark US$1 billion, 1GW dispatchable renewable energy program in South Australia.


President of Shanghai Electric, Huang Ou and GFG Alliance Executive Chairman and CEO, Sanjeev Gupta at the signing event.
Image: GFG Alliance

Chinese power company Shanghai Electric will handle engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) work on the 280 MW Cultana Solar Farm for Simec Energy Australia, part of UK steel billionaire Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance. The PV project is part of Gupta’s ambitious renewable energy plans for South Australian industrial town Whyalla and a vision of renewable energy-powered heavy industry.

The $350 million Cultana Solar Farm is expected to produce around 600 GWh of energy per year drawn from 780,000 solar panels, powering GFG’s Whyalla Steelworks and a range of key government and commercial customers.

“Cultana Solar Farm is an ambitious project that will deliver globally-competitive renewable energy on a large scale to power-heavy industry,” Gupta said. “It is a great step forward in our vision to revitalise industry and we look forward to working with our partners to bring our renewables projects to life.”

Greater vision

Cultana is the first project of Simec Energy Australia’s US$1 billion, 1 GW dispatchable renewable energy program in South Australia. It is expected to play a key role in the development of the visionary 10 Mtpa Whyalla Next-Gen steel plant project and GFG’S industry revitalisation strategy.

At the program’s launch last year, the company confirmed that its second large-scale solar project in the vicinity of the Cultana Solar Farm was already in development. On the occasion, Gupta said even larger projects would follow in other states and announced his ambition to invest in up to 10 GW of large-scale solar and other renewables projects across Australia, supporting industry.

Other projects in Gupta’s SA program include: cogeneration at GFG’s Whyalla Primary Steel plant using waste gas; pumped hydro projects at GFG’s Middleback Ranges mining operations and a massive lithium‐ion battery (120 MW/140 MWh), which would surpass the 110 MW/ 129 MWh Tesla big battery at the Hornsdale Power Reserve in terms of size.

The pumped hydro project in the Middleback Range on Eyre Peninsula was one of the 12 projects shortlisted under the Coalition’s Underwriting New Generation Investment scheme, which comprised six renewable pumped hydro projects, five gas projects and one coal upgrade project in New South Wales.

EPC expertise

The Cultana Solar Farm received a development approval from the South Australian government mid May, under condition to reduce the impact it may have on native vegetation in the area. It is expected to break ground in October and generate around 350 jobs during construction and 10 full-time positions upon completion. Construction will take 12-15 months.

“Shanghai Electric have embodied the best form of partnership, working hand in glove with our people in Whyalla to develop the project,” Gupta said. “We are confident of their performance, to deliver this project on time, and on budget, to the highest standards, supporting our commitment to the creation of hundreds of new local jobs in South Australia.”

Shanghai Electric made a foray into solar in 2016 by acquiring a major stake in German PV equipment maker Manz. It made headlines last year when it revealed plans to acquire a 51% stake in the Jiangsu Zhongneng unit of GCL Poly – China’s largest polysilicon maker at that point. However, the deal fell through amid the market jitters caused by the Chinese government’s abrupt decision to rein in public subsidies for PV.

The Chinese company’s global EPC expertise includes the completion of a 700 MW concentrated solar power project – said to be the world’s largest CSP project and the largest single-site solar park in the world based on the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model. The plant is the fourth phase of the 1 GW Mohammed bin Raschid al-Maktum solar park located in the Dubai Desert.

https://www.pv-magazine-australia.com/2 ... olar-farm/

[Nort]

Gupta has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the Cultana solar farm.

Great this is going ahead, although it's still a massive shame that Australia squandered its chance to be a global leader in renewables meaning that we have to get a Chinese company to build it.

[SBD]

Gupta has signed an agreement with a Chinese company to build the Cultana solar farm.

Great this is going ahead, although it's still a massive shame that Australia squandered its chance to be a global leader in renewables meaning that we have to get a Chinese company to build it.

Is that a "squandered chance", or a reflection that a number of engineering companies in Australia have failed recently, and one of the factors in some of them seems to have been underbidding on solar power construction (example: RCR Tomlinson). Perhaps there is now a shortage of Australian-owned companies willing to take on the work. It is possible that Shanghai Electric will still use mostly Australian subcontractors on the ground. Who knows if it has an Australian engineering office to do the design work. Given that Guta has a partnership with ZEN Energy, it's likely that the panels will be required to be sourced from here.

[Bob]

Renewables still setting strong pace in South Australia

http://theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/ren ... australia/

Solar project racks up 50 farms in South Australia

http://theleadsouthaustralia.com.au/ren ... australia/