Australia's Global Power System Transformation Research Roadmap

Australia is experiencing one of the world’s fastest and most profound power system transformations. Strategen has partnered with Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and peer organizations to develop a roadmap highlighting the research required to continue Australia’s transition to a more secure and affordable electricity system.

By 2025, the Australian Energy Market Operator recognizes that Australia’s power systems must be capable of operating reliably during periods where 100% of instantaneous demand is served by variable generation sources. By 2050, the country’s National Energy Market will plausibly need to accommodate:

A nine-fold increase in the installed capacity of utility-scale wind and solar generation (from 15 GW to 140 GW)
An almost five-fold increase in the installed capacity of distributed solar generation (from 15 GW to 70G W)
A three-fold increase in installed firming capacity that can respond to a dispatch signal
(Data source: https://www.aemo.com.au/newsroom/media-release/nem-prepares-for-step-change)

This report will help stakeholders to understand the transformation ahead, strengthen and deepen operational coordination, and integrate rapidly growing volumes of renewable energy and customer-sited distributed energy resources. The Roadmap summarizes the outcomes of nine individual research plans, including their criticality to Australia’s energy transition, which research should be prioritized, and how the research could form individual programs.