Australian Government Approves 45 Renewable Energy Projects, With 128 on the Way

The Royalla Solar Farm as seen in Canberra, Australia, on June 28, 2016. (Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Images)

The Albanese government has approved 45 renewable energy projects with a further 128 on the way.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek announced the latest of these projects on March 22.

A new solar farm, set to power 200,000 homes, has been approved in the central west of New South Wales.

An 840-megawatt solar farm and battery energy storage system known as the Sandy Creek Solar Farm will be constructed 25 kilometres southwest of Dunedoo.

Ms. Plibersek said the government wants to “unlock Australia’s potential to be a renewable energy superpower.”

“It’s a huge task—we’re working overtime to get there. I’ve now ticked off 45 renewable energy projects with another 128 in the approvals pipeline,” she said.

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“We want to unlock Australia’s potential to be a renewable energy superpower.”

The project received approval following an assessment under Australia’s national environmental law.

Discussing the benefits of the project, the government touted that the solar farm would save equal to 1.4 million carbon dioxide equivalent emissions.

“The project will save up to nearly 1,400,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions, which is equivalent to taking 440,000 cars off the road for a year,” the government said.

The project will support 600 jobs in the construction phase and 10 long-term jobs.

“We know projects like this are vital to boosting renewables, but they are also great for local jobs and economies,” the government noted.

Recently, the Federal government announced a $20.1 million taxpayer grant through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for a fleet of 43 electric trucks.

‘Renewable Only’ Strategy Concern

Meanwhile, the Opposition has raised concerns that the government’s renewable-only strategy is raising electricity prices.

In the parliament on March 20, Shadow Minister for Energy Affordability and Western Sydney Melissa McIntosh highlighted the plight of a Western Sydney food charity facing closure due to their energy bills rising by $900.

“When will the minister admit that the Albanese government’s disastrous renewables-only energy policy is leading Australia in the wrong direction?” she said (pdf).

In response, Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen pointed to a recent announcement that energy costs are expected to fall soon.

“There is a lot more to do; no one should be complacent and no one should suggest there aren’t pressures in the system,” Mr. Bowen said.

Opposition Leader Dutton recently confirmed the Coalition will make the case for nuclear power in Australia at the next election.

“We will. I believe it’s in the best interest of our country,” Mr. Dutton said on 2GB radio.

“We need to deal with the uncertainties around supply—so we need to make sure that we can keep the lights on.”

Mr. Dutton said “overbuilding renewables” drives up prices, noting that with ”baseload power in the energy mix like nuclear, prices are cheaper.

“Nuclear is the only proven technology which emits zero emission and firms up renewables,” he said in a speech at the Australian Financial Review Business Summit in Sydney.

Renewable Spend Continues

The Federal government is continuing to announce new funding for renewable projects and critical minerals.

On March 20, the Albanese government announced the launch of three new EV charging stations as part of a $78.6 million Driving the Nation Fund together with the NRMA.

Further, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently advised parcel delivery company Team Global Express would replace a third of its trucks in Western Sydney with electric vehicles.

While the total cost of the project is $44.3 million, the government will contribute more than $20 million to the project.

“We already have thousands of electric buses and electric cars on the road. This Australian-first project will help modernise our truck fleet, cut down on emissions, save fuel costs, and reduce air pollution,” Mr. Albanese said in a statement.

“This also delivers on our election commitment through the Driving the Nation Fund into cutting transport emissions and rolling out charging infrastructure across Australia.”

Team Global Express CEO Ms. Holgate expressed enthusiasm that the trucks are on Sydney roads delivering parcels directly to residential and commercial customers.

“Team Global Express is proud to roll out an electric vehicle trial of this scale and support our industry and country’s renewable energy transition ambitions,” Ms. Holgate said.

Further, the Albanese government is pouring funds into critical minerals projects that produce materials used in renewable energy.

On March 13, the government announced it would provide $230 million to the Liontown Resources Kathleen Valley Lithium Project in Western Australia. Lithium is used in EV batteries.

“Nine out of the ten critical minerals necessary for lithium batteries can be found here in Australia, which gives us massive jobs and economic opportunity in the net zero transformation,” Mr. Bowen said.

In addition, the government is providing $840 million to rare earths miner Arafura Rare Earths to develop Australia’s first rare earth mine and refinery, the Nolans Rare Earths Project in the Northern Project.

This project will produce Neodymium and Praseodymium (NdPr), which are used in magnets for EVs and wind turbines.

“Gaining this level of support from the Commonwealth government is a critical milestone in becoming a globally significant producer of NdPr, a product essential for electric vehicle and wind turbine manufacturers to achieve future growth targets as part of the energy transition,” Arafura CEO  Darryl Cuzzubbo said (pdf).

On March 14, the government announced three new electric vehicle charging stations opening in the Northern Territory as part of the government’s partnership on a national EV fast-charging network.

Mr. Bowen said the government’s 82 percent renewables by 2030 plan is delivering record investment in batteries and large-scale storage. This includes $4.9 billion in new financial commitments.