When you think of renewables, it’s easy to get lost in the idea that renewable energy is a new concept without a proven track record of success, but the reality is slightly different. In this blog, we set the scene for renewable energy in Australia as we reinforce our commitment to being the natural partner for asset owners, contractors and designers who want to ensure they connect their projects to stakeholders inspiring, educating and informing them about project realities, practicalities and benefits.

The Australian Scene

Australia has set an ambitious target of reaching 82% renewable energy target by 2030…in only six years. While sounding impossible on paper, if Australia’s major renewables projects pipeline is delivered, ambition will become a reality.

“I think it is often overlooked that in 2022, renewables hit a new high of 36% of Australia’s total electricity production, double that of 2017. It’s therefore pretty clear that renewables can and do contribute to meeting the power needs of Australians,” said Spatial Media’s Dan Cain.

“The current renewables pipeline of projects covers wind, solar, pumped hydro, and bio-energy, intended to deliver almost 13,000 MW of renewable energy capacity. With billions invested so far and more on the way, data shows that projects have been delivered in most of the nation’s states and territories, with each having a future pipeline of work set to bolster renewable generation and transmission.”

In our time supporting renewables, we’ve been involved in some of the most pioneering projects across Australia, including:

Renewable Energy Zones
To support the NSW Government’s investment in the establishment of Renewable Energy Zones, we worked with EnergyCo to create an interactive map that enables users to explore NSW Renewable Energy Zones and priority transmission infrastructure. With multiple map layers, address look-up, land boundaries, and transmission line information available for selection, users can quickly and easily explore zones and the projects that will be developed in their region.

Star of The South – Offshore Wind
Since 2021, we have been working with the Star of the South team to showcase Australia’s largest offshore wind development. With multiple stakeholders, from boaties to landowners, the project is located in Gippsland, Victoria, and has the potential to generate up to 20% of Victoria’s electricity. Through interactive maps, visualisations of technology, and explainer videos, we were thrilled to support a ground-breaking renewables project that can help solve energy and climate challenges while creating new local jobs and business opportunities.

Snowy 2.0 – Pumped Hydro
Connecting two dams via underground tunnels and a power station 1km below ground level to generate 2,200 megawatts of dispatchable, on-demand generating capacity and approximately 350,000-megawatt hours of large-scale storage means that the numbers alone hint at the complexity of Snowy Hydro 2.0. To support this nationally significant project, our team worked with Snowy 2.0 to bring to life the project, its technology, environmental impact, and more through mapping, visualisation, imagery, video content, and a virtual tour, which supported community engagement with one of Australia’s most ambitious clean energy projects.

Lake Lyell – Pumped Hydro
Energy Australia’s Lake Lyell Pumped Hydro scheme will support renewable energy and create new opportunities for Lithgow in New South Wales. With a proposed 335MW capacity and 8 hours of storage capacity, the scheme will provide enough power for 150,000 homes. At  https://www.lakelyellpumpedhydro.com.au/ we created interactive visuals and tools to support community engagement, project understanding and the benefits of creating clean, affordable power for communities, residents and industry.

As we’ve supported stakeholder and community engagement on key projects, we’ve learned that acceptance increases as attitudes change and communities better understand a project’s realities.

“Success is achieved by telling your story well, using all available channels to share information and gather feedback, acting on feedback and committing to keeping your communities and stakeholders up to date throughout the full project lifecycle.”

“That’s where our partners have had their greatest successes as they have brought projects to life for communities and showcased the technologies at the heart of renewables projects. Explainer videos, flythroughs, virtual engagement rooms, visuals, and maps are all becoming essential to renewables projects seeking to engage with their stakeholders seamlessly,” said Dan.

To support Australia's push for renewables, Spatial Media has developed Generation for Generations, a dedicated community engagement platform that showcases how digital engagement tools and platforms can support project understanding.

“Generation for Generations allows community and stakeholder management professionals to explore the latest ways to visualise major renewables projects and see key projects mapped across the nation and the key project data.”

“When you see the scale and scope of what the renewables transformation is going to mean for Australia’s future, it's hard not to be amped up,” said Dan.

As Australia makes the move to a clean energy future, it’s pretty clear that renewables will be the way we achieve our targets and meet the expectations of future generations. To view the latest engagement tools and platforms, visit Generation for Generations