The Clean Energy Council is excited to announce that Australia’s premier technical large-scale solar sector event is back in Brisbane in 2024.
Kicking off from 4-5 June 2024 at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, the Australian Large-Scale Solar and Storage Summit (ALSSSS), proudly powered by LONGi, will unite Australia’s utility-scale solar sector for two days of knowledge sharing and networking.
Clean Energy Council Chief Executive, Kane Thornton, said that the 2024 summit follows a momentous year for large-scale solar, which took the lead in new capacity added to the grid, accounting for a total of 1.9 GW from 15 newly commissioned projects across Australia.
“Queensland has the opportunity to lead the world’s renewable energy transformation, with abundant sunshine and wide open spaces.
“Large-scale solar and storage technologies continue to play a pivotal role in accelerating Australia’s journey towards a cleaner, cheaper energy system, to bring energy bills down and build a more sustainable future.
“In particular, we saw massive financial commitments to large-scale battery storage projects totalling $4.9 billion over the past year, which set a new annual record. It is clear as day that large-scale solar and storage are shining brightly in Australia’s energy mix.
“And where better to celebrate than in the Sunshine State, which is well on course to become a renewable energy superpower and meet its target of 70 per cent renewables by 2032.”
One of the highlights of the 2024 program will include the launch of a landmark Clean Energy Council report on emerging forms of long duration energy storage (LDES), a technology critical to maintaining security and reliability of the energy system as more renewable generation enters the grid.
Clean Energy Council Director of Market, Investment and Grid, Christiaan Zuur, said that the report outlines how storage will be the key to maintaining reliability and keeping system costs down as Australia’s clean energy transformation progresses at pace.
“As the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO)’s draft Integrated Systems Plan (ISP) has demonstrated, energy storage will play a fundamental role as the patterns of energy demand change in a grid moving rapidly towards renewables,” Zuur said.
“Utility-scale long-duration energy storage can carry large volumes of electricity over long periods of time. Working in conjunction with wind and solar, long duration storage can play a key role in maintaining energy supply as coal generation becomes less reliable and exits the grid.
“There are many forms of long duration energy storage, including some of the big lithium batteries currently under development as well as the mature technology of pumped hydro. However, there are many exciting alternative forms of long-duration energy storage (ALDES) technologies emerging, all of which can form an integral part of the storage portfolio, to support energy system security and reliability as the system transitions.
“This report provides insights into how these promising technologies can be integrated into the grid in different scenarios, as well as the various areas of policy reform at Federal, state and territory levels that can be pursued to accelerate market uptake.”
More information about the Australian Large-Scale Solar and Storage Summit (ALSSSS) can be found here.
ENDS
For more information or to arrange an interview, contact:
Liam Straughan
Clean Energy Council Media Officer
[email protected]
+61 409 470 683
