In today’s points, China already on the path of green, low-carbon development, Chinese renewable energy giant backs Australia’s first wind technology test lab, Australian Government Aims to assist the development of lithium battery manufacturers, Australian Clean Energy Built $20 Billion Dollars Infrastructure in 2018.
China already on the path of green, low-carbon development: climate official
The China Climate Administration said at the United Nations (UN) Climate Change Conference on December 7 that China has entered a green and low-carbon development path. Xie Zhenhua, China’s special representative at the UN Climate Change Conference, said: “In the past 25 years, China’s total energy conservation has accounted for more than half of the world’s total.”
Mr. Xie delivered a speech on the theme “Climate Change Communication and Public Participation” during the Conference of the Parties (COP24) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change in Katowice, Poland. He urged more media to participate in reporting on climate change issues, helping to increase transparency and public awareness in the field, and this awareness needs to be translated into action. If countries continue to maintain a positive attitude, the meeting will reach its goal.
As of 2017, China’s carbon dioxide emissions have fallen by 46% from 2005 levels, fulfilling its commitment to reduce CO2 emissions by 40% to 45% by 2020.
Source: Global Times
Chinese renewable energy giant backs Australia’s first wind technology test lab
Goldwind, China’s largest wind energy company, partnered with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) to establish the world’s first laboratory to test renewable wind technology.
The $2 million Australian dollarsfund was signed earlier this year at the UNSW China Center Inauguration in Shanghai.
Professor Joe Dong, a power systems engineer at UNSW stated that “Wind power and photovoltaic power are the most important renewable energy sources in the future.”
Goldwind’s further investment will also fund research projects including wind power research, energy internet, wind turbines, noise control and water treatment technologies.
However, although wind power is largely a mature technology accounting for 33.8% of Australia’s renewable energy supply and 5.7% of the country’s overall power production, there are still some difficulties regarding efficiency, stability and frequency control.
Since the Australian grid requires electricity to be delivered at a frequency of 50 Hz, power generation is sometimes interrupted when the wind speed changes rapidly. However, with the establishment of joint testing facilities, research will be easier.
Mark Hoffman, the Dean of Engineering at UNSW said “Australia is an important market for wind turbines. Cooperation with Goldwind can benefit Australia’s renewable energy industry and increase the long-term community reliability.”
Source: Global times
Australian Government Aims to assist the development of lithium battery manufacturers
The federal government is launching strategies to further develop Australia’s lithium battery manufacturing sector after a new trend of local lithium producers moving into new areas of the supply chain was identified in a recent government report.
The Austrade report, which was released yesterday, found that local lithium producers are seeking to leverage the production of lithium from the Australian end, including making more critical component of the production able to be done in Australia. Currently, Australia’s lithium is sent to Japan and Korea for further transformation before they finally export to China.
The report also found that Australia, who earns 1.13 billion Australian dollars from lithium mining, only earns 0.53 per cent of the value of the ultimate exported products, while the refining sector offshore can gain more than 200 billion Australian dollars from the value chain.
Federal Trade Minister Simon Birmingham and Senator Matthew Canavan said Australia needs to “accelerate the development of a high-tech lithium manufacturing sector”, including continuing the current positive trend of local production and increasing its leverage in the global lithium supply chain.
Source: Australian Financial Review
Australian Clean Energy Built $20 Billion Dollars Infrastructure in 2018
Australia’s renewable industry has invested over $20 billion into projects worth 14.6 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2018 alone, says the Clean Energy Council (CEC).
According to Australia’s peak representative of the renewables sector, more than 80 wind and solar farms have been under construction over the past 12 months, which has created 13,000 jobs over the nation, with 34.6% of them in Queensland, 29.2% in Victoria and 16.2% in New South Wales.
The CEC’s chief executive Kane Thronton said the launch of these projects are the result of Australia’s continuous development of skills and experience in the industry in the past decade. He also warned the lack of settled energy policy could threaten the industry’s development if the absence is ongoing.
Source: The Guardian