Energy & Natural Resources

The federal government has proposed doubling penalties against petrol companies for pricing misconduct to $100 million, as conflict in the Middle East causes prices to skyrocket.

Rio Tinto's struggling Tomago Aluminium Company has lost a challenge to a $52 million valuation of the land occupied by its Hunter Valley smelter, despite arguing the sum was too high in light of electricity costs and the limited pool of notional buyers.

A court has signed off on Someva Renewables' plan to build 62 wind turbines just outside of Hanging Rock following what the company called 18 months of "unnecessary" opposition from a local council that did little to alter the project. 

Alinta Energy has secured a long-term power purchase agreement with the state of Western Australia for what will be the state's largest wind farm.

The federal and Queensland governments will hand over $2 million to Rio Tinto to support its Boyne aluminium smelter in return for the mining giant investing $7.5 billion in clean energy projects within the state.

The competition regulator has launched an investigation into allegations of possible anti-competitive conduct by four major fuel suppliers amid upheaval in global oil markets arising from the war in Iran.

Singapore renewables company Vena Group has signed a $200 million long-term battery storage agreement with Danish energy trading company InCommodities for the Bellambi Heights battery energy storage system in central west New South Wales. 

The Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility has appealed the dismissal of its greenwashing case alleging Santos misled investors by falsely representing that it had a plausible path to net zero by 2040.

After a win in their spat over the sale of Brazil's Santa Rita nickel mine, two Australian companies who held all shares in the mine's owner, Atlantic Nickel, may seek costs against Omni Bridgeway and Balance REV, the litigation funders of the loser in the case.

The ACCC has convened an emergency meeting of fuel companies, warning them against engaging in collusive conduct amid disruptions in the oil markets caused by military operations in the Middle East.