A potential 3 GW pumped hydro facility has been identified for Victoria's Yallourn coal mine, a project capable of providing 150 GWh of deep storage. The proposal would repurpose the brownfield site and its existing transmission links after the power station's 2028 closure. This vision for long-duration renewable storage contrasts sharply with developments in the Northern Territory. There, the NT government has allocated land for a 2 GW hyperscale data centre to be powered by fracked Beetaloo gas. The competing visions for Australia's energy future emerge as NEM spot prices fell 24.7 per cent week-on-week to average $61.33/MWh, with high renewable output suppressing daytime demand.
The focus on mega-projects is echoed in Western Australia, where the state-owned utility is seeking partners for its massive Clean Energy Link grid upgrade programme. The initiative is designed to connect more solar and wind generation to the nation's largest isolated grid. In New South Wales, Samsung C&T has submitted its 1 GWh Boro solar-plus-storage project for federal environmental assessment under the EPBC Act. The submission adds another gigawatt-scale hybrid project to the state's already crowded development pipeline, underscoring the scale of capital seeking deployment in large-scale renewables.
Beyond the grid, federal investment is targeting hard-to-abate sectors. ARENA has pledged $32 million to HAMR Energy to convert forestry byproducts into sustainable aviation fuel, a move aimed at establishing a domestic clean fuels industry from residues like sawdust and bark. This industrial decarbonisation theme extends to remote operations. The Western Australian gold mining town of Laverton is transitioning to an off-grid power system, which is expected to source 80 per cent of its supply from solar and battery storage to reduce reliance on heavily subsidised electricity.
Project delivery is also seeing significant supply chain shifts. In a notable move, Goldwind has started construction on a new Australian wind farm using Envision Energy turbines. The developer's decision to use a different Chinese manufacturer signals potential diversification in the domestic supply chain for wind infrastructure. This comes as the IEA-PVPS updated its benchmark life cycle inventory for solar manufacturing, using data from 83 factories to document improved silicon recycling and wafer efficiency. Globally, supply chains continue to realign, with Taiwanese firms planning a new 1 GW solar module factory in the United States.
While giants dominate the headlines, the federal government is also funding smaller-scale grid integration solutions. Grants have been awarded to 14 projects designed to use electric vehicles for grid support and resolve network bottlenecks. These initiatives aim to extract more value from existing infrastructure, representing a different approach to managing the transition's challenges compared to building new large-scale generation and transmission assets. The projects focus on optimising the grid through technological innovation rather than capital-intensive construction.
Underpinning these physical developments is a constant stream of regulatory refinement. AEMO is currently consulting on key market frameworks, including its gas market parameters, network access models, and consumption deviation rules ahead of its 2026 Transition Plan for System Security. Meanwhile, the AER is progressing its review of the NSW Contribution Determination Guideline to improve cost recovery for the state's ambitious Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. These detailed rule-making processes will shape how new assets connect and operate within the evolving market.