CATCH UP
Policy
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The life of Queensland's coal-fired generators will be extended under a major energy policy shift by the Crisafulli government. (AFR)
Twenty-seven hydrogen projects have been shortlisted for the next stage of the Second Hydrogen Allocation Round (HAR2) supporting green hydrogen production in the UK.
“This builds on the success of the First Hydrogen Allocation Round which saw 11 projects being allocated over £2 billion in government funding. One recipient, Whitelee Green Hydrogen in Scotland, will produce hydrogen for the Inchdairnie Whiskey distillery which intends to sustainably distil whisky by 2027.
The HAR2 shortlist could lead to projects that help support strong supply chains and the delivery of the clean energy superpower mission.” — UK Industry Minister Sarah Jones
Capital
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S&P/ASX 200 Energy index stocks were hit harder than the broader market, declining by 6.95% in a day of red driven by US tariffs and uncertainty.
Gearing up to “drill baby, drill”, Woodside Energy sold a 40% stake in its Louisiana LNG project to global investment firm Stonepeak to raise US$5.7 billion in capital to accelerate development in 2025 and 2026. “The transaction significantly reduces Woodside’s capital expenditure profile and is a material step towards readiness for a final investment decision,” Woodside said in a statement.
 Projects
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Vulcan Energy (ASX: VUL), part-owned by billionaire Gina Rinehart, completed the acquisition of Geox, including its geothermal wells, renewable energy generation assets and a geothermal and lithium licence around Landau, Germany. The assets will be used in the Phase One Lionheart Project (the Project) to produce lithium for conversion into battery chemicals for European offtake partners, and to produce renewable energy for local use.
Technology
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Qantas and Airbus jointly committed A$15 million - from a US$200 million partnership established in 2022 - into venture capital fund Climate Tech Partners to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). They said it would help to bridge the gap between early-stage climate technologies and at-scale commercial production in Australia.
“Sustainable aviation fuel is the most effective tool we have to decarbonise aviation and, with Airbus, we’re investing significantly in ways to make it more available and accessible. As well as funding, this partnership will help provide a vote of confidence in new technologies so they can be developed, scaled and integrated in the SAF supply chain, while also providing companies with access to Qantas and Airbus as they develop and test their solutions.
“For Australia, an onshore SAF industry will mean improved national fuel security, more jobs and economic benefit, so it’s fantastic to be collaborating across industries to help accelerate local production.” — Qantas Group Chief Sustainability Officer Fiona Messent
People
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Professor Maurizio Cirrincione was appointed Director of Charles Darwin University’s Energy and Resources Institute. Cirrincione was most recently Professor of Control Systems at the University of the South Pacific and has research experience in renewable energy systems, smart grids and artificial intelligence.
Research
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Wave energy’s huge potential could be unlocked by the power of sound. (The Conversation)
CHOICE investigated bias in an energy comparison site, prompting a defence of MyConnect by Duncan Permezel, General Manager, Consumer & Property - Retail, at Origin Energy. (RN)
A global resurgence of industrial policy is being driven by what researchers at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies say is a “fundamental shift in energy economics”. In a paper entitled “From Scarcity to Scale: The New Economics of Energy” the authors discuss the implications of the transformation of the energy landscape including a world where “geographic accident no longer fundamentally determines energy wealth; instead, technological innovation, manufacturing scale, and early-mover advantages determine market leaders, creating a ‘winner-takes-most’ dynamic exemplified by China’s dominance in solar PV and battery manufacturing”.
Random
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The US has roughly 50 gigawatts of solar panels sitting in warehouses that was imported from Southeast Asia before the tariffs were announced. (Bloomberg)
SipEnergy signed on as the South Sydney Rabbitohs’ Official Solar Energy Partner.
“This partnership allows us to make a real difference in the way we manage energy usage at the Club while continuing to encourage our Members, supporters and the broader community to embrace sustainable practices.” — Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly