Colin Packham

Colin Packham is the energy reporter at The Australian. He was previously at The Australian Financial Review and Reuters in Sydney and Canberra.

@Colpackham

Colin Packham

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Price spike fearsMining & Energy

A generic photo of a an amateur Fisherman passing an LNG ship in Darwin Harbour, Gas , Exports , recreational fishingPicture: Glenn Campbell

Australia will need gas imports despite 2025 surplus, ACCC warns

The admission will elevate concern about how Australia — one of the world’s largest LNG exporters — is forced to import gas to meet demand from Victoria and NSW.

Colin Packham

energyMining & Energy

Darwin’s LNG terminal will be the final destination for gas drilled from the undeveloped Barossa gas field in the Timor Sea. Picture: File

Fewer new LNG commitments this year, says forecaster

There will be fewer global LNG final investment commitments this year, which should ease the concern of giants like Woodside and Santos of a global glut, a respected industry observer says.

Colin Packham

exclusiveMining & Energy

Platform images from clean energy start-up Neara.

Critical NSW transmission access call imminent

Renewable energy developers will imminently find out if they have secured access to a transmission line key to the nation’s push for net zero.

Colin Packham

exclusiveMining & Energy

Venice Energy An artist's impression of the proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) importterminal to be built at Outer Harbor, Port Adelaide, South Australia, byVenice Energy. The image shows the floating storage and regasification unit(in the foreground), or FSRU, and a Liquefied Natural Gas Carrier, LNGC,berthed in front of it. The FSRU would be semi-permanently moored atPelican Point, Outer Harbor, while LNGCs would come and go makingdeliveries. Gas would be piped into the main SA gas network from the FSRU.December 2021. Picture supplied by Venice Energy

LNG developer proposes import fix to initially head off gas shortfall

AP&G LNG has approached the SA government with a proposal which could, at least temporarily, stave off a looming gas shortfall on the nation’s eastern seaboard.

Colin Packham

manufacturingCompanies

*ADVERTISER ONLY* Blast furnace cast house floor. Steelmaking has resumed at the Whyalla Steelworks after an expert and exceptional, GFG Alliance team was able to restart the blast furnace., The blast furnace restart operation began after an unexpected delay following a planned, routine maintenance shut down in March., A series of recent breakthroughs allowed workers in power and services, maintenance,, and steelmaking divisions to return to their regular shift rosters earlier this week. Picture: Supplied

Whyalla resumes steel production after outage

The resumption of steel production at the SA regional city of Whyalla will boost hopes the plant’s future can be safeguarded, but even owner GFG has conceded hurdles endure.

Colin Packham

energyRenewable energy & economy

POMONA, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 19: GRID Alternatives employee Tony Chang installs no-cost solar panels on the rooftop of a low-income household on October 19, 2023 in Pomona, California. GRID Alternatives has installed no-cost solar for over 29,000 low-income households located in underserved communities which are most impacted by pollution, underemployment and climate change. They are the countryâs biggest nonprofit clean energy technologies installer and operate in California, mid-Atlantic states and Colorado. Mario Tama/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by MARIO TAMA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Tweaked solar rules will make household expenditure worthwhile

The Australian Energy Market Commission expects its rule change to improve returns to households and businesses which have rooftop solar panels and batteries.

Colin Packham

resourcesMining & Energy

Mining giant Peabody has changed the name of North Goonyella mine to Centurion Coal Mine as the operation pushes ahead with its resumption.

Energy and resource exports set to tumble in grim outlook

The value of Australian energy and resource exports will tumble, heightening pressure on the country’s $2.5 trillion economy and darkening Labor’s election prospects.

Colin Packham

energyRenewable energy & economy