South Australia as global leader to host 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference in Adelaide
Pacific Hydro's Clements Gap wind farm was part of the the phalanx of input that made a South Australia as a state a world renewables energy leader.
Image courtesy Renew Energy
Adelaide was selected as host city for the 2024 International Renewable Energy Conference, one of the biggest events on the global clean energy calendar. The Adelaide conference, announced by the Australian and South Australian governments, would be the first in Oceania.
The conference would bring together 3,500 global leaders from government, industry, science and NGOs (non-government organisations) to share the latest developments in renewable energy and plan for a clean energy future. The huge International Renewable Energy Conference (IREC) had been held biennially since 2004, with previous conferences in Seoul, Washington DC, Beijing and Madrid.
The organisation behind the conference, REN21 (the Renewable Energy Policy Network for the 21st Century), headquartered in Paris, was dedicated to developing policy, exchanging knowledge and joint action towards a rapidly moving to renewable energy. South Australia, with a world-leading transformation of renewables in its grid, was the only below-nation-level member of REN21 internationally.
Just before the conference announcement, South Australia’s leadership in renewables continued in December 2022 when solar and wind combined to contribute 85.4% of the state’s electricity demand for December, a new record. The month also saw South Australia notch up a world-first run of more than 10 consecutive days when the average production of wind and solar accounted for 100% of local demand.
South Australia energy minister Tom Koutsantonis said the opportunity to host the International Renewable Energy Conference was “a real feather in South Australia’s cap” and an opportunity to showcase its clean energy credentials, including the planned hydrogen hub on the upper Spencer Gulf. A key part of the Adelaide conference, called AUSIREC 2024, will be to consult with and involve Australia’s First Nations peoples in deploying clean energy projects.