Australia’s power grid can reach penetrations of 50% renewable energy without a significant requirement for storage to support reliability, according to a new report commissioned by Australia’s chief scientist, Alan Finkel. The report notes that Australia possesses abundant raw mineral resources for batteries, but could derive greater benefits through value-adding. The federal government needs buy-in from the states, because the new system requires jurisdictions to pass complimentary legislation to set up the national energy guarantee. “Given our natural resources and our technical expertise, energy storage could represent a major new export industry for our nation,” Finkel says. “Energy storage is an opportunity to capitalise on our research strengths, culture of innovation and abundant natural resources.

Source: The Guardian November 19, 2017 17:00 UTC