Supercharged! Solar Soakers, New Tech and Rebates for Queenslanders

This week the world's oceans set a new record.

The average temperature of the oceans' surface rose to 20.96 degrees Celsius on June 30, according to data from the European Union climate observatory.

This is the highest figure ever recorded by the observatory, overtaking the previous record set in 2016, and raises concerns about the effects on marine life, the planet's climate, and coastal communities like Australia.

The release of grim figures like this is becoming all too common, and are yet another reminder of the emphasis we need to place on our clean energy transition.

This week we made major strides towards our goal of powering Queensland with 70% renewable energy by 2032.

Redlands Soaks Up Cheap Solar

CSIRO and AEMO have confirmed that solar and wind power are the cheapest sources of energy generation and storage in Australia.

Queensland in particular is rich in the natural resources of sunshine and wind that will allow us to power our state on renewable energy.

In fact, almost 40% of Queensland households have rooftop solar.

However, the cheap solar energy that is collected during the day needs to be able to be stored for use at night, when our energy demand peaks. To do this, we need to improve our battery storage capabilities across the state so we can best take advantage of our legendary Queensland sun.

Last weekend Kim Richards and I announced the first of 12 super solar batteries for Queensland, part of the biggest build of batteries in the nation.

Cheap rooftop solar generated in the Redlands will be stored in this mega-sized battery during the day...

...And released in the evening during times of peak demand.

Batteries like this will allow us to take advantage of our nation leading rooftop solar, while also putting downward pressure on household energy bills.

I can't wait to open more of these super solar soaker batteries soon.

Backing Local Batteries

This is the Redflow ZBM3.

It's the world's smallest commercially available zinc-bromine flow battery, and it's developed right here in Queensland.

Flow batteries will play a key role in our renewable energy future as they are a more environmentally sustainable alternative to the current lead acid and lithium ion technologies predominantly manufactured off-shore.?

They provide the opportunity to increase the accessibility and affordability of renewable storage with their long life cycle and high energy density.

We want to support the next stage of Queensland’s local battery capability, which is why last week I announced we've invested $24 million to deliver locally developed flow batteries.

That's $12 million in a zinc-bromine flow battery from Redflow and a $12 million iron flow battery from?Energy Storage Industries Asia Pacific.

“If we don’t back investment in batteries in Queensland we will see investment go offshore. Our government is backing local manufacturing of batteries because that means more jobs across more regions in Queensland.” - Annastacia Palaszczuk

This trial is part of?Energy Queensland’s network battery program which will support Queensland companies to help develop the technologies and solutions we need for our energy transition.

Supercharging North Queensland

North Queensland will soon be home to the largest renewable energy hub in the nation, with pumped hydro, solar and wind projects designed to generate 500MW of clean, cheap, reliable power.

Our north is also home to $500 billion worth of critical minerals that are required to produce the batteries, solar panels, wind turbines and EVs that will power our renewable future.

We need a transmission network that can unlock the renewable generation and mining potential of the north.

We need CopperString 2032.

Last week we took another step towards this game changing project with the opening of the Townsville SuperGrid Training Centre and Transmission Hub with?Powerlink Queensland.

This hub will play an integral role in delivering CopperString, and we expect hundreds, if not thousands of renewable energy workers to be trained and upskilled here.

Once built, CopperString infrastructure will unlock an additional 100,000 new jobs in:

?? Renewable generation

?? Green hydrogen

?? Critical minerals

?? Mining

?? Battery manufacturing

It's an exciting time for North Queensland, as our Government delivers a strong renewable future full of opportunity and growth for the region.

A New Cost of Living Rebate

We know that Queenslanders are concerned about cost of living pressures, which is why last week we announced a new cost of living rebate that will save households thousands...

...And help save the planet.

Queenslanders that purchase an energy efficient fridge, dishwasher, dryer or other household appliance, can get up to $1000 back.

It's estimated that making the switch from a 2 to 4 star appliance could save individual households hundreds of dollars on their power bills, reducing our state's CO2 emissions by thousands of tonnes each year.

Last week when announcing this new rebate with Annastacia Palaszczuk , I came across a 7-star fridge for sale for $1200.

This is the most energy efficient fridge you can buy, and with our rebate applied, it costs just $850.

Compared to a 4-star fridge it uses 44% less energy, and over the course of its life the cost savings would add up to thousands of dollars saved.

Not only that, but the impact on the planet is significantly reduced, helping us reach our clean energy goals.

The rebates are available from September 4. You can register your interest and learn more about eligibility here.

Until next week,

Mick.