Energy

Western Power has engaged digital marketing agency Bonfire to broaden the utility’s engagement with customers beyond the traditional means.

The number of electricity users disconnected for failing to pay bills increased around 60 per cent in Western Australia in the 2017 financial year, while more than 10,000 electricity users were on a hardship program, according to a report released by the Economic Regulatory Authority today.

The number of new gas and power connections in Western Australia fell in the year to June, an outcome of the slowing property development market, according to the Economic Regulation Authority.

Perth-based TNG has commissioned Carnegie Clean Energy's subsidiary Energy Made Clean to evaluate renewable energy options to power its Mount Peake vanadium titanium project.

Phoenix Energy has announced major changes to its planned waste to energy project at Kwinana, with Macquarie Capital becoming lead sponsor and two European groups negotiating to take on construction and operations.

Western Australia’s domestic gas market is likely to have sufficient supply for the next decade if Chevron's Gorgon domgas stage two proceeds on time and other replacement fields come online as anticipated, according to the latest Australian Energy Market Operator report.

Woodside Petroleum expects to cut costs and its environmental footprint after contracting ABB Group to replace one of the gas turbine generators at its Goodwyn A platform in the North-West Shelf with a battery storage micro-grid.

Most chemicals used in hydraulic fracking are not harmful, while precautions can be taken to prevent problems from those substances which are, according to a CSIRO report released today.

A Chinese state-owned energy company has stepped up its efforts to gain control of the Waitsia gas field north of Perth, launching a hostile bid today for oil and gas group AWE after withdrawing its proposal for a friendly takeover earlier this week.

Decmil Group is well placed to secure a $275 million engineering contract for Chinese group Maoneng's 250-megawatt Sunraysia solar project in NSW, after signing a memorandum of understanding to complete early designs for the project.

AWE shares have tumbled after the Chinese state-owned energy corporation interested in buying the Australian oil and gas group withdrew its $430 million proposal, after it was unable to conduct a final due diligence review on the target.

Perth-based Pacific Energy has acquired the 10-megawatt Nova gas-fired power generation plant in Victoria for $7.5 million.

Belmont-based Zenith Energy has been selected as preferred contractor to build a 62-megawatt power station at Newmont’s Tanami gold mine, edging out incumbent provider Pacific Energy.

The state government has moved to terminate a state agreement with Mitsubishi Corporation and Buru Energy that was enacted in 2013 when there were high hopes that fracking in the Kimberley’s Canning Basin would lead to development of major onshore gas projects.

Three Western Australian projects with a focus on clean energy technology, including an artificial reef in Exmouth, will share in $4.8 million funding announced by National Energy Resources Australia today.

Carnegie Clean Energy has signed a binding term sheet with government agency Indigenous Business Australia and the Perth Noongar Foundation for a 50 per cent stake in the renewable energy company’s $17 million Northam solar farm.

TransAlta officially opened its new 150-megawatt combined cycle natural gas power station in South Hedland today, with Horizon Power as its sole foundation customer after Fortescue Metals Group backed out of an offtake agreement.

Curtin University, Murdoch University, Power Ledger and LandCorp are behind an $8 million project that will use blockchain technology to manage water and energy systems in the City of Fremantle.

A local power generator majority owned by Rod Jones’s Hoperidge Capital has refinanced its bank debt through a $44 million bond issue which the company believes will give it more flexibility, including the potential to pursue a 100-megawatt solar farm.

Perth company Bombora Wave Power will proceed with construction of its first commercial sized mWave device after securing multi-million dollar backing from international renewable energy consultancy Enzen.

Shares in energy giant Santos have soared to a 15-month high after the company confirmed it recently rejected a takeover offer from a major US investor worth almost $9.5 billion.

The share market is following a negative lead from overseas markets, weighed down by weakness among miners and banks.

Western Power plans to reduce spending by nearly $1 billion in the next five years compared to the five years just gone, according to a proposal by the state-owned network operator to the state’s economic regulator.

Sydney-based gas producer AWE will raise $38 million via a share placement to fund the next stage of the Waitsia gas field project in the Perth Basin.

Horizon Power will roll out a $7.1 million distributed energy pilot project in Carnarvon, while the state government has unveiled a trial to incentivise demand management by users during peak periods in Broome.

Two companies pursuing ambitious waste-to-energy projects in WA remain positive despite hitting problems with their original engineering partners.

The Australian share market has closed lower after sharp falls in oil and base metal prices weighed on energy and mining companies.

Even those with only a passing interest in the resources sector would recognise there’s something unusual about an iron ore miner talking up a natural gas project and an oilman talking it down.

Fortescue Metals Group has terminated its agreement with TransAlta Corporation to purchase power from the recently completed South Headland power station after the miner raised performance concerns in August.

Pilbara Minerals has struck an agreement to work on the possible development of a lithium processing facility in joint venture with South Korean companies Polaris Shipping and LG Chem.

Mineral Resources has acquired Empire Oil & Gas’s Perth Basin assets, including the Red Gully processing plant, just more than a month after the energy junior entered administration.

Energy firm Santos will once again back the controversial Narrabri coal seam gas project in NSW as it seeks to boost production as part of its turnaround plan.