Record 93.7% Wind & Solar in Australia’s Largest Coal Grid

New Records Set for Renewable Energy in New South Wales

In New South Wales, the share of renewables, particularly wind and solar, has reached remarkable new heights, breaking records in the state grid, which is the largest in the country and boasts the highest coal-fired power capacity.

Recently, data from GPE NEMLog revealed that on a Friday, renewables peaked at an impressive 95.7 per cent at 12.45pm (AEST), surpassing the previous record of 88.8 per cent set in December the previous year.

Record-breaking Renewable Energy Share

The instantaneous share of wind and solar, categorised as variable renewable energy (VRE), also hit a new high of 93.7 per cent, significantly exceeding the previous peak of 88.2 per cent from December last year.

Geoff Eldridge from GPE NEMLog noted on LinkedIn that both records had exceeded 90 per cent for the first time, posing the question of which region would be the first to achieve 100% renewable energy.

Notably, these records were not the only ones broken on that Friday. The combined output of renewable energy and VRE crossed 10,000 MW for the first time, with residual demand dropping to minus 323 MW, indicating substantial changes in energy dynamics.

This milestone occurred while four out of 12 black coal units were offline for maintenance, including Vales Point Units 5 and 6, Eraring 3, and Bayswater 2, as highlighted by Eldridge.

Impressive Output Peaks

The maximum instantaneous renewable energy output in NSW surged to a new peak of 10,129.1 MW at 12:20pm (AEST), a significant increase from the previous record of 8,711.3 MW in December the previous year.

Simultaneously, the peak output of wind, solar, and rooftop PV reached 10,029.9 MW, up notably from 8,702.9 MW in January of the current year.

Rooftop PV alone achieved a new peak of 8,058.3 MW at 12:55 AEST, marking a 480.04 MW increase from the previous record set in late October this year.

These milestones signify a significant shift towards renewable energy sources in New South Wales, setting new benchmarks for the state’s energy generation.

For more updates on renewable energy and sustainable practices, follow Giles Parkinson, the founder and editor of Renew Economy, along with its affiliated platforms One Step Off The Grid and The Driven, focusing on electric vehicles. Giles, with over 40 years of journalism experience, co-hosts the Energy Insiders Podcast and has a wealth of knowledge in the energy sector.