1. ELECTRICAL TRADE TRAINER VACANCY – HUNTER AREA

Hunter-V-Tec’s Rutherford campus is expanding, and the college is seeking a casual Electrical Trainer to join their team!

What does the work entail:

• Leading engaging training sessions, sharing your practical knowledge and hands-on experience.
• Providing guidance and mentorship to aspiring electricians.
• Assisting in the development of comprehensive training materials, including lesson plans, presentations, and assessments.
• Fostering a positive and inclusive learning environment.

What you’ll get in return

• salary package to maximise your income
• ongoing professional development opportunities
• deliver training in our purpose-built workshops and training facilities
• the satisfaction of making a real impact on the lives and careers of our students

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• current qualifications relevant in Electrotechnology
• TAE40116 Certificate IV in Training and Assessment or higher
• a genuine passion for teaching and mentorship
• ability to work both autonomously and within a team environment
• other qualities and abilities

Who you’ll be working with

The amalgamation of HVTC and the Central Coast Community College has combined two dynamic organisations working in the VET sector delivering apprentice & trainee employment and vocational education and training. 

HVTC is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to changing lives through training and employment.

Learn more about the position and requirements on SEEK – HERE

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2. ONLINE JOB ADVERTISEMENTS INCREASE IN JULY 2023

The report states, “shows underlying labour market conditions continuing to stabilise with online job advertisements increasing at the national level and across most regions.  The number of internet vacancies remains at relatively high levels historically.

In seasonally adjusted terms, online job advertisements at the national level increased in July 2023 (up 2.1% or 6,000 job advertisements) to 283,600.

Over the month to July 2023, job advertisements increased across all Skill Level groups and vacancy numbers were up in five states and territories.

Internet advertisements in regional Australia grew by 2.8% over the year. In capital cities, vacancies decreased by 9.4%.

Monthly spotlight

Despite a shortage for Bricklayers and Stonemasons for over two decades, online job advertisements have increased by almost 190% following the lows observed in 2020. The report draws together a range of labour market data to provide an overview of these occupations.”

READ MORE HERE

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3. ASQA PUBLISHES COMPLIANCE GUIDANCE MATERIALS

ASQA identified that providers are:

• unclear on entering and meeting the requirements of an Agreement to Rectify.
• not addressing all non-compliances in their response.
• not organising documentation appropriately or logically, delaying assessment of their evidence.

ASQA has revised its webpage on what happens after a provider’s performance assessment, if they are found non‑compliant.  The revised page provides clarity around the Agreement to Rectify (ATR) process and educate providers on how they can be successful in entering into an ATR.

The guide is designed to assist applicants and training providers with identifying, planning, and rectifying non-compliances after a registration assessment, performance assessment (audit), or monitoring activity.  The guide will help applicants and training providers plan to address the non-compliances to meet ASQA’s set response timeframes. 

GUIDE TO RECTIFYING NON-COMPLIANCE

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4. NCVER RELEASES APPRENTICES AND TRAINEES 2022 – DECEMBER QUARTER REPORT

The report covers contract commencements, completions, cancellations and withdrawals as well as contracts currently in training.  The December quarterly report is an important report in that it represents the changes as at 31 December from one year to the next.

Highlights

In-training as at 31 December 2022

In Australia, there were 377 665 apprentices and trainees in-training as at 31 December 2022, an increase of 8.1% from 31 December 2021.

Quarterly training activity

In the December quarter 2022, compared with the December quarter 2021:

• commencements decreased by 33.5%, to 33 745
• completions increased by 18.8%, to 32 225
• cancellations and withdrawals decreased by 1.6%, to 30 095.

Training activity: 12-month ending series

In the 12 months ending 31 December 2022, compared with the 12 months ending 31 December 2021:

• commencements increased by 9.9%, to 240 690
• completions increased by 19.9%, to 100 245
• cancellations and withdrawals increased by 21.4%, to 128 045.

READ MORE HERE

USE THE DATABUILDER TO QUICKLY CREATE CUSTOMISED TABLES USING THE LATEST DEC 2022 APPRENTICE AND TRAINEE DATA

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5. NCVER RELEASES TOTAL 2022 VET ACTIVITY REPORT

The data shows an increase in student numbers since 2015 whilst at the same time a decline in program enrolments and completions.  Full-year training equivalents (FTYEs) remained relatively static over the same period.
In 2022, 4.5 million students were enrolled in nationally recognised vocational education and training (VET), up 5.1% from 2021.  They included:

The highlights were:

• 2.1 million students enrolled in nationally recognised programs
• 3.0 million students enrolled in subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program.

In 2022, compared with 2021:

• Student numbers increased by 5.1%
• Full-year training equivalents (FYTEs) increased by 0.3% to 1.1 million
• Students enrolled in nationally recognised programs decreased by 1.3%
• Students enrolled in subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program increased by 10.4%.

An estimated 25.0% of the Australian resident population aged 15 to 64 years participated in nationally recognised VET.

Over the five-year period from 2018 to 2022, student numbers increased by 11.3%.

Students and full-year training equivalents (FYTEs)

Some students enrolled in one or more programs, some in subjects that were not part of a nationally recognised program, and others in a combination of both.

In 2022, compared to 2021, students enrolled in:

• nationally recognised programs decreased by 1.3% to 2.1 million
• subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program increased by 10.4% to 3.0 million.

In 2022, 2.1 million students (46.9%) were enrolled in nationally recognised programs, consisting of:

• training package qualifications (1.8 million students)
• accredited qualifications (157 400 students)
• training package skill sets (104 185 students)
• accredited courses (107 105 students).

In 2022, 3.0 million students (66.7%) enrolled in subjects that were not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program. These students had a total of 7.3 million subject enrolments (25.5% of all subject enrolments).

Participation rates

In 2022, 25.0% of the Australian resident population aged 15 to 64 years participated in nationally recognised VET, an increase from 24.0% in 2021. The highest participation group in 2022 was students aged 15 to 19 years (45.7%).

In 2022, 25.1% of the male and 23.5% of the female Australian resident population aged 15 to 64 years participated in nationally recognised VET.

Funding Sources

VET students can undertake training as a full fee-paying student (domestic or international fee-for-service) or with the assistance of a government subsidy (government-funded).

In 2022, compared with 2021,

• government-funded students decreased by 5.2% to 1.3 million
• domestic fee-for-service students increased by 8.7% to 3.4 million
• international fee-for-service students increased by 6.2% to 226 675.

In 2022, the majority of

• government-funded students (83.0% or 1.1 million) were enrolled in training package qualifications
• domestic fee-for-service students (84.5% or 2.9 million) were enrolled in subjects not delivered as part of a nationally recognised program
• international fee for service students (87.8% or 199 125) were enrolled in training package qualifications.

Training Providers

In 2022, 732 875 FYTEs (63.7%) were enrolled in nationally recognised training at private training providers, 284 945 (24.8%) at TAFE institutes, 44 550 (3.9%) at community education providers, 35 865 (3.1%) at schools, 32 495 (2.8%) at universities and 19 040 (1.7%) at enterprise providers.

Program enrolments and completions

– Program enrolments

In 2022, there were 2.8 million enrolments in nationally recognised programs. Of those, 91.3% were in qualifications, including 84.9% in training package qualifications and 6.4% in accredited qualifications.

– Program completions

In 2022, there were 801 875 program completions.

– Qualification enrolments

In 2022, Management and commerce was the most popular field of education (20.5%), followed by Society and culture (18.3%) and Engineering and related technologies (17.5%).

– Qualification completions

In 2022, there were 722 510 nationally recognised qualification completions. This number will be revised with subsequent releases of Total VET students and courses.

READ MORE HERE

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6. ENERGY, GAS AND RENEWABLES JOBS AND SKILLS COUNCIL – JOIN THE WEBINAR

It will be holding a webinar to introduce the new organisation.

The webinar will be held on Thursday 24th August at 12pm – 12:30pm.

If you wish to register to participate click the following link: REGISTER NOW

The new ‘Powering Skills Organisation’ is a partnership between the Master Electricians Australia (MEA), the National Electrical and Communications Association (NECA) and the Electrical Trades Union (ETU) with the charter to work with governments, industry and relevant training providers to develop the skills needed for the energy workforce of tomorrow.

The Powering Skills Organisation has been established to provide industry with a stronger, more strategic voice in ensuring Australia’s VET sector delivers stronger outcomes for learners and employers.  The PSO is commissioned to:

• Provide evidence-based workforce capability and skills planning that support a transitioning energy sector
• Support all industry stakeholders with information, data, thought leadership and practical support
• Set or improve training frameworks for all new and existing employees working in the sector.
• Develop new training materials to help guide trainers in benchmarks and assessments.
• Use a train-the-trainers model to support a smooth transition development to implementation in the workplace.

LEARN MORE OR BECOME A MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION HERE

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7. NSW VOCATIONAL EDUCATION AND TRAINING (VET) REVIEW CONSULTATIONS COMMENCE

The 90-minute session heralded the start of 4 months of discussions to hear from as many voices as possible.  The 15 August 2023 NSW VET Review Newsletter stated, “the intention is that the NSW VET Review is shaped by those in or impacted by VET, and identifies the strengths, gaps and opportunities for improvement in skills development and training in our state.

The review’s panel will be listening and carefully considering the thoughts and solutions offered by stakeholders from across the state.”

The NSW VET Review is led by former federal education department secretary Michele Bruniges, who is leading a three-member expert panel that will undertake the major review of VET in NSW.

Stakeholder participation is welcomed.  Stakeholders are invited to read the review’s discussion paper, developed from the deep research and analysis conducted during phase 1 of the review. It’s designed to stimulate conversation and pose questions for consideration.

There are 4 key themes:

• boosting student success
• placing TAFE NSW at the heart of the system
• delivering VET in NSW
• preparing VET for the future.

If you are considering making a submission, email it to NSWVETReview@det.nsw.edu.au or complete the short and simple Have Your Say survey.

Submissions close Friday 24 November at 11:59 pm.

See more on the review and the Terms of Reference.  Full terms of reference attached.

More information

For those seeking more information they can stay informed about updates and progress on the NSW VET Review please subscribe to the NSW Review Newsletter.

You can also contact them by sending an email to NSWVetReview@det.nsw.edu.au.

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8. 2022 WORLDSKILLS INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION SPECIAL EDITION -RESULTS

Competitors competed across 55 skills – from carpentry, and plumbing to cloud computing, and cyber security.  The competitors had the opportunity to showcase their talents, and champion their skills pathways.

Skill competitions are an opportunity for Australia’s trainees and apprentices to test their skills and knowledge in their chosen field against their peers.

Competitors first participate in a regional competition – usually held at a school or training organisation – where they test their skills against others in their region. People who perform well at the regional competition will spend the next several months training for the National Championships – an exciting, three-day competition where regional winners from all across the country meet up to compete, network and learn. From there, national medallists may be invited to train for the International Competition. This competition, run in a different city every two years, sees the very best skills talent from all over the world compete over four days.

The Special Edition Competition held in Melbourne followed a decision by the international arm of WorldSkills in 2022 due to the pandemic, to host skill competitions in a variety of countries and regions, collectively known as WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition.

Find out how competitors performed during the Melbourne leg of the WorldSkills Competition 2022 Special Edition event.

READ MORE HERE

8.1. NATIONAL SKILLS WEEK – 21 TO 27 AUGUST

National Skills Week is dedicated to raising the profile and status of vocational learning dispelling outdated myths and showcasing the attractive career opportunities for all Australians.  National Skills Week is an initiative of SkillsOne, who will once again be driving the initiative working with government and stakeholders to achieve unique and beneficial outcomes, accompanied and supported by unprecedented media coverage.

The Hon. Brendan O’Connor presented the keynote address and launch the 2023 National Skills Week at Canberra.

Now moving into its thirteenth year, National Skills Week will again set out to bring to life the positive messages, highlighting the talents, the skills, the career pathways and the value of apprentices and trainees across Australia to the wider public and employers. The week is dedicated to raising the status of practical and vocational learning.

If you would like to learn more about National Skills Week, please email info@nationalskillsweek.com.au or phone 0438 808 848.

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9. NOMINATIONS FOR WOMEN IN HVACR CLOSE IN 2 WEEKS

As stated previously, the Women in HVACR programme has been created by Climate Control News to recognise talented women making an outstanding contribution to the climate control industry.

Women in HVACR will showcase the industry as a great career choice with plenty of pathways and opportunities.  CCN will do this by profiling the best and brightest and sharing their experiences in HVACR.

Every year, women from around Australia will be invited to nominate to be a part of CCN’s Women in HVACR showcase.  Entries are welcomed from young rising stars through to senior executives.  It is about their experience and talent, not their age or title.

CCN will recognise their contribution and passion for an industry that is making a difference.

HOW TO NOMINATE

Successful candidates will be profiled in the October/November issue of CCN magazine and online.

• Submissions can be self-nominated or entered by a third party.
• Complete the short survey to demonstrate the nominee’s passion for working in the HVACR industry.
• Entrants are encouraged to highlight how they are making a difference to the industry.

Nominations close on 5 September 2023”

LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO NOMINATE

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10. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT RELEASES TENDER FOR APPRENTICE SUPPORT 2024-2026

The article states, “The RFT follows extensive stakeholder consultation on how to enhance Australian Apprenticeship supports for individuals and employers, and seeks to strengthen the apprenticeship system, improve completion rates and increase the diversity of the apprentice workforce.

This will include improving wrap-around support for women in male-dominated trades, First Nations Australian Apprentices, apprentices with disability, and apprentices located in remote Australia. Specialist services are also being sought, including to support apprentices working towards clean energy occupations.

Information on the RFT and how to respond is available on AusTender and the department’s Employment Services Tenders website.

Responses to the RFT close September 12.

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11. VICTORIAN SKILLS CHIEF, CRAIG ROBERTSON, TO HEAD VET QUALIFICATIONS REFORM GROUP

The Group has been established to modernise and streamline VET qualifications.

The article states, “The Minister for Skills and Training Brendan O’Connor said the current system is afflicted with thousands of unit duplications, where students are having to relearn things they’ve already been taught.

“We’ve have identified more than 5000 units of competency that contain at least 70 per cent of the same material taught in other units,” he said.

“This current model is not fit for the modern economy, where changing jobs and careers and lifelong learning has become the norm.”

Other members of the group are:

• Sarah Brunton, National Technical Officer, Electrical Trades Union
• Helen Cooney, Principal Policy Officer, Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees’ Association
• Megan Lilly, Executive Director, Australian Industry Group
• Geoff Gwilym, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Automotive Chamber of Commerce
• Dr Margot McNeill, Chief Product and Quality Officer TAFE NSW, Education expert
• Mathew Pearson, Director – National Skills Reform, NSW Department of Education, State and Territory nominated representative.

The group will design new training package rules for the development of units of competency and qualifications that recognise the differing needs of industry by the end of 2023, before further work in 2024 to develop a change program for transitioning VET qualifications.

READ MORE HERE

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12. SMART & SKILLED UPDATE – NO 211 – 212, AUG 2023

Smart and Skilled is an NSW Government program that helps people get qualifications in in-demand skills and industries.  It’s a key part of the NSW vocational education and training system. 

This Smart and Skilled Update 211-212 covers the following:

1. 2023-24 Approved Qualifications Activity Schedules and Financial Caps
2. Continuing Students and 2023-24 Financial Caps
3. Requests to vary Approved Qualification Activity Schedule (AQAS) Variation Request
   1. Entitlement Full Qualifications and Targeted Priorities Full Qualifications AQAS
   1. Entitlement Apprenticeships and Traineeships and School Based Apprenticeships and Traineeships
4. 2023 Smart and Skilled Targeted Priorities Prevocational Part Qualifications program is now open
5. Smart and Skilled Targeted Priorities Prevocational Part Qualifications program Funding Priorities for 2023-24
6. Training Services NSW Regional Office Contacts

For more information visit: FUNDING AND SUPPORT – SMART AND SKILLED

Or, for technical support in relation to this update, contact Training Market Customer Support at Training.Market@det.nsw.edu.au

For the Smart and Skilled – NSW Skills List visit: NSW SKILLS LIST – SMART AND SKILLED

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13. INFINISPARK RELEASES NEW ALTERNATE SUPPLIES BOARD PRODUCT FOR UEEEL047

It is the only equipment currently on the market designed specifically for this unit of competency.

UEEEL0047 is a new unit of competency in the UEE30820, Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician qualification and it involves identifying, shutting down and restarting systems with alternate supplies.

ASB simulates a stand-alone system that can cover the majority of practical training and assessment and satisfies the following Range of Conditions:

• one with an energy source that is still available once turned off; and
• one inverter energy system
• photovoltaic (PV) array systems
• stand-alone power systems
• battery systems

Infinispark chose to design a stand-alone system because it covered most of the unit requirements and allowed us to make it safer for the students by making all accessible points Extra Low Voltage (ELV) where possible.

Infinispark also provides a quizzed based Challenge Circuit number 13 on Alternate Supplies as a way of developing fundamental understanding of the circuit arrangement in its Blog section of the website – https://infinispark.com.au/challenge-circuit-13-alternate-supplies/

Learn more about the ASB Simulator HERE

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14. ELECTRICAL SAFETY INCIDENTS JUN-JUL – SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE

The aim is to help RTOs and industry practitioners have available, real case studies of electrical incidents that have occurred in workplaces and which they can showcase and use in their programs or safety moments to highlight findings and experience, and discuss possible issues, responses or solutions.

The NSW UE ITAB again, sincerely thanks BlueScope Steel for their permission, and advises RTOs and industry practitioners to ensure they recognise and acknowledge attribution to BlueScope for sharing this information and treat the information for educational purposes only.

As we receive the incident reports, we will continue to share them accordingly.

For this News Service we have two Blue Scope Steel reports covering the months of June 2023 and July 2023:

• Download the June 2023 report – JUNE 2023 REPORT HERE
• Download the July 2023 report – JULY 2023 REPORT HERE

For more information and BlueScope contact details please refer to the undersigned for more information.  Again, a sincere thanks to BlueScope.

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15. 24-YEAR-OLD ELECTRICIAN FOUND DECEASED IN THE HOME’S ROOF SPACE

Following the recent and tragic fatality involving an electrical worker in a roof space, Building and Energy is issuing a reminder to always switch off the mains power before entering a roof space.

The roof space of a home can be a dangerous area.  Roof spaces can present serious electrical hazards and the potential for electric shocks is high.

Under WA’s Work Health and Safety Regulations, it is mandatory for the mains power to be off before any worker enters the roof space of a Class 1, 2 or 10a building (generally being residential dwellings, apartment buildings or related buildings such as a shed, carport or private garage).

This applies to all workers, not just electrical workers, who intend to enter the roof space.

For more information, please refer to WorkSafe’s Guidance note – Working in roof spaces.

In NSW visit the SafeWork NSW website regarding advice on Electrical hazards when working in ceiling spaces safety alert – HERE

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16. BEREAVED FAMILY HAS IMPORTANT WARNING FOR ELECTRICAL WORKERS

The article states, “The bereaved family of a young woman who died as a result of a faulty electrical product are sharing their story in the hope that it will serve as a warning to electrical workers who provide electrical goods as part of their work.

Kerryn O’Connor was just 35 years old when she was electrocuted by a submersible water pump she was using in the backyard of her Townsville home.

The pump wasn’t designed, manufactured or tested to Australian standards and an internal, hidden fault caused the outer metal casing of the pump to become live, killing Kerryn instantly.

Her family have shared her story through Queensland’s Electrical Safety Office.

Any electrical worker who supplies electrical products as part of their work — including fans, lights and hot water systems — is a supplier and has a legal responsibility to ensure the products are safe. The best way to do this is to purchase electrical equipment registered to an Australian-based responsible supplier and check the Regulatory Compliance Mark (RCM) is printed on the equipment (or its packaging) — this means it meets Australian safety standards.

READ MORE HERE

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17. ENERGY SAFE VICTORIA INVESTIGATES SERIOUS ELECTRICAL BURN INCIDENT

The article states, “The 29-year-old electrical worker made contact with live electrical parts on high-voltage equipment while undertaking cleaning at a Burwood East building on Saturday, 22 July. Energy Safe chief executive Leanne Hughson says it was disappointing to see two incidents that left electrical workers in hospital in the same month.

“It appears both incidents could have been avoided if safety precautions had been properly followed at each of the respective sites before work commenced,” Energy Safe chief executive officer Leanne says.

“Hopefully, they can serve as important reminders for electricians and supervisors to ensure that worksites are safe.”

The electrical worker had been carrying out annual maintenance and cleaning on 22kV switchboards which had been de-energised. Before starting work, the electrician had turned off the power to the property via the circuit breakers but did not remove the service fuse.

READ MORE HERE

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18. ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR FINED FOR APPRENTICE ELECTRIC SHOCK

The article states that, “An electrical contractor, its director and on-site supervisor have received fines after an apprentice came into contact with live parts of a junction box while working without supervision during the rewiring of a house.

J.L. Hutt Electrical Pty Ltd and its director Jason Hutt received fines and incurred costs totalling $30,599 at Ringwood Magistrates Court on 10 August 2023. Charges were brought against the company by both WorkSafe and Energy Safe Victoria. The apprentice’s on-site supervisor Austin Calverley was fined a further $2,500.

On 21 February 2021, the apprentice suffered a serious electric shock after touching a live junction box.

The apprentice was working alone under the house in Croydon completing rewiring work near energised electrical circuits. The on-site supervisor, Austin Calverley, was on the roof and not providing direct supervision.

The apprentice was lucky to survive the incident, sustaining injuries to his hand that required two skin grafts, and nine months of rehabilitation.

In the past seven years, Energy Safe has investigated the deaths of five apprentice electricians.

READ MORE HERE

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19. QLD ELECTRICAL SAFETY WEEK – SEPTEMBER 2023

All events are livestreamed.

Electricity safety summit:

This year’s in-person and livestreamed summit will see electrical industry leaders focus on what it takes to be the best leader, diversity in the workplace and learnings for the future in the electrical industry.

Electrical apprentice safety forum:

Join football legend Johnathan Thurston for breakfast at Bracken Ridge TAFE.  This free event is for electrical apprentices to find out what is happening in the electrical industry, how to stay safe at work, look after your mental health and achieve success.

Electrical industry safety webinar:

This free live webinar is for electrical contractors, electricians and anyone working in the electrical industry to hear industry updates and learn more about staying safe in the electrical industry.

Electrical safety in the community webinar:

This free live webinar is designed for community members to understand how to live safely around electricity – in their home and workplace!

LEARN MORE AND REGISTER FOR YOUR PREFERRED EVENT

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20. FREE COURSES SET TO FUEL QUEENSLAND’S HYDROGEN FUTURE

The article states, “The Fuelling a hydrogen future: STEM Skills for Secondary Learning courses have been developed to target Years 7 to 12 students. It is a curriculum-aligned for simple integration into the classroom setting.

“We are investing in our young people in their schools through the expansion of our Gateway to Industry Skills Program (GISP) to include hydrogen,” Minister for Training and Skills Development Di Farmer said.

Minister Farmer stated that the free online learning resources would provide Queensland high school students with industry-relevant basic knowledge and the tools they need to make career decisions in the hydrogen sector.

According to the State Government, the online learning program is a crucial component of the Hydrogen Industry Workforce Development Roadmap 2022-2032, published in July 2022.

The online programs, developed by CQUniversity in collaboration with Stanwell Corporation and ACCIONA Energia, will strengthen industry-school relationships while highlighting the Queensland hydrogen and renewable energy industries to the future workforce.

READ MORE HERE

Students, teachers or parents wanting to register or find out more about the courses can visit Fuelling a Hydrogen Future: STEM Skills – CQUniversity.

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21. INNOVATION IN ENERGY STORAGE COMES TO THE FORE

The system is based on a flywheel system which stores energy via momentum in a spinning mass of steel.  Key principles underpinning the system:

• A flywheel is essentially a mechanical battery.
• It consists of a mass rotating around an axis.
• It stores energy in the form of kinetic energy by accelerating a rotor to high speeds and maintaining the energy in the system as momentum in a vacuum.
• The inbuilt motor uses electrical power to charge the wheel by rotating it.
• As the flywheel spins faster, it gathers force to store more energy.
• The motor becomes a generator when energy is extracted from the system as advised by the management system.

The all-steel design uses no toxic materials and has 7 to 10 times fewer total emissions than Lithium ion.  Long duration flywheels are cheaper by 14-36% over the whole useful life.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THIS INTRIGUING ENERGY STORAGE PRODUCT HERE

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22. TRANSGRID SIGNS $100M CONTRACT FOR TRANSMISSION EQUIPMENT

The article states, “ZTT Australia were awarded the contract, with the conductors to be manufactured at ZTT Group’s Hekou manufacturing campus and delivered to Australia in 2024 and 2025.

The program is enabling Transgrid to purchase materials like substation equipment, earlier and at a lower cost, enabling limited resources to be used across multiple projects. The orders are also supported by a $400 million Federal Government underwriting as part of the Rewiring the Nation program.

Transgrid CEO, Brett Redman, said that the contract is enough to stretch from Sydney to Dublin. 

“We are also finalising a separate contract with another Australian company to supply other locally-produced conductor elements,” Mr Redman said. 

“We continue to build our global supply chain to secure the specialised kit needed to build the future clean energy grid and ensure competitive and efficient delivery of the Federal Government’s energy plans.”  …

“Transgrid is investing $16.5 billion in transmission infrastructure in New South Wales over the next decade to accelerate the Federal Government’s vision,” Mr Stallan said.

“Our major transmission projects involve a long shopping list for big kit, and we are competing with the likes of Europe, the US and the United Kingdom to secure highly sought after slots on production lines.

“The new conductors will be used on HumeLink and VNI West and by securing supply now, we can deliver projects faster and cheaper for consumers.”

READ MORE HERE

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23. ACT SEEKS INPUT ON ELECTRIFICATION PLAN

The article states, “The ACT government is seeking input on its Integrated Energy Plan to guide the energy transition away from gas to renewable energy.

“The ACT continues to lead the world in taking action on climate change,” says the ACT government. “We are set to become the first Australian jurisdiction to be powered exclusively by renewable energy, by 2045. However, with fossil fuel gas accounting for over 20 per cent of the ACT emissions and transport accounting for 60 per cent, there is still a long way to go.”

In August 2022, the ACT government released the “Our Pathway to Electrification” Position Paper, which outlined why the ACT is transitioning away from fossil fuel gas and provided a proposed pathway to get there.

The Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) will set out that pathway, providing a clear strategy for how the ACT will transform its energy systems to:

• Secure an affordable and sustainable energy future
• Support a fair and equitable transition to net zero emissions from fossil fuel energy over the next two decades.”

READ MORE HERE

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24. 2030 RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET FACES HURDLES

The article states, “Projections suggest the nation may not hit its 2030 renewable energy target of 82 per cent.  Forecasts point to a likely attainment of around 60 per cent. Analysts emphasize the need for policy adjustments, advocating for faster project approvals and increased focus on storage solutions.

Plans by the federal government for Australia to generate more than four-fifths of its power from renewable sources by 2030 are coming under pressure amid claims the country is way off track.

• There are increasing suggestions Australia will fall short of its 2030 renewable power target of 82 per cent
• Analysts predict Australia’s share of renewable energy is on track to be about 60 per cent at the current rate of progress
• The forecasts come amid mounting opposition to projects such as transmission lines in some parts of Australia

…

“Rewiring the Nation Corporation is an interesting idea because the idea there was to provide low-cost finance,” he said.

“But low-cost finance isn’t the problem.

“There’s plenty of money around.

“The problem is approvals.”

READ MORE HERE

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25. GROUND-BREAKING REPORT INTO DANGEROUS LITHIUM-ION BATTERIES

The article states, “The UK is facing a worrying increase in fires caused by lithium-ion batteries, which power e-bikes and e-scooters.  It started on New Year’s Day, when Sofia Duarte lost her life in a fire started by an e-bike battery in her London apartment.  Since then, seven more people have died in similar fires.

E-bikes and e-scooters are seen as environmentally friendly options that can reduce carbon emissions.  But their batteries contain the same energy as the TNT in six hand grenades.  So, if a fault occurs, the fires are ferocious and almost impossible to put out once they start.

Electrical Safety First has produced the most comprehensive report on lithium-ion batteries to date: BATTERY BREAKDOWN.

Why do e-bike and e-scooter batteries explode?

Lithium-ion battery fires are different to regular fires. They enter ‘thermal runaway’ – a chemical reaction, causing exponential rises in temperature that can reach in excess of 600°C within seconds and lead to explosive fires.

Watch this short animation to see exactly what happens when an e-bike or e-scooter battery fire breaks out.

READ MORE HERE

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26. THE 82 PER CENT NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY TARGET – WHERE DID IT COME FROM?

EnergyInsider a joint publication of Energy Networks Australia (ENA) and Australian Energy Council (AEC) in the latest 18 August 2023 edition examines the origins if where the Th 82 per cent national renewable energy target came from and how we can get there.

The article states, “In recent weeks there has been a wave of headlines about Australia’s energy transition – while some preached opportunity, others raised caution. Of particular interest to those inside the energy beltway was whether Australia can reach its official, yet also unofficial, target of 82 per cent national renewable electricity generation by 2030.

In this article, we do a deep dive into how this target came to be and what obstacles must be overcome for Australia to achieve it.

Where did 82 per cent come from?

The figure first emerged through modelling the Labor Party did while in Opposition. In the lead up to the 2022 Federal Election, the ALP commissioned RepuTex, an energy economics consultant, to model the impacts of its Powering Australia Plan. Key to this was Labor’s Rewiring the Nation policy – a $20 billion fund to accelerate investment in electricity transmission projects. RepuTex predicted that the successful implementation of this policy would increase overall renewable generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to 82 per cent by 2030. In turn, this increased NEM renewable penetration would help Australia reach its updated 43 per cent by 2030 total carbon pledge.

82 per cent of the NEM was thus calculated as a beneficial outcome of the Rewiring the Nation policy rather than reverse (i.e. the policy being presented as a means to achieve a specific renewable target).

When formally announcing its Powering Australia Plan in December 2021, the ALP did not give this figure huge prominence. It was not mentioned in its official media release nor did it receive any attention on the Powering Australia website.

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Recent data from the University of NSW indicates that Australia’s renewable deployment is about half this, at about 8.5TWh of solar and wind generation. Unfortunately, every year of under-deployment makes the target less achievable.

Contrary to what is sometimes said, the build rate is not constrained by political will or investor appetite. Rather, it is simply a reality of the social, technical, and engineering challenges that come with such a whole-of-society transformation.

The challenges here are many:

• Supply-chain limitations on the minerals and complex equipment required to build and connect large-scale renewables
• Skill shortages, particularly with respect to electrical networks
• Land-use resistance to network infrastructure and extended permitting processes
• Extended design, technical approval and build times for connection assets, stabilization equipment (e.g. synchronous condensers), long-distance transmission and pumped-hydro storage
• Slow progress in developing the necessary tools to understand the complex phenomena resulting from deep penetration of inverter-based resources on a large electrical grid

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Conclusion

Nobody wants to be that person that says something cannot be done and setting a target helps keep the pressure on the government, industry and AEMO to deliver the energy transition. But, as 2030 gets nearer, it is important decarbonisation occurs at least cost, not any cost.

READ MORE HERE

For more, contact Rhys Thomas, Australian Energy Council

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