As we close out 2025, we’re proud to look back on a year where Sunshine Hydro’s vision of delivering reliable, 24/7 carbon-free energy through the Superhybrid™ model, gained real traction across Australia and the world.
From global forums to national conferences, and from thought-leadership recognition to policy influence, this has been the year our ideas moved further into the mainstream.
Here are some of the highlights:
– Sunshine Hydro was honoured to contribute to the Project Expert Group supporting the development of the PtX Roadmap for the APAC region from the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB)
– At All Energy Australia 2025, CEO Rick McElhinney delivered a main stage key note and CTO Chris Baker chaired and spoke at another session asking the bold question: What if a Superhybrid™ could rescue the troubled Tomago Aluminium smelter?
Together their analysis demonstrated how pumped hydro, green hydrogen, and advanced digital optimisation could stabilise and decarbonise one of Australia’s most energy-intensive industrial assets, and a powerful example of how Superhybrid™ thinking can rewrite the rules for manufacturing, energy security, and cost stability. Global recognition at the International Hydropower Association Forum
– At the International Forum on Pumped Storage Hydropower in Paris, Rick McElhinney shared how Sunshine Hydro’s AESOP optimisation platform is helping unlock financially viable, deeply decarbonised pumped storage solutions.
– The International Hydropower Association (IHA) featured Sunshine Hydro CTO Chris Baker in its 30th anniversary series, highlighting the transformative potential of the Superhybrid™ model.
– Meanwhile, Rick McElhinney celebrated what will be Snowy Hydro 2.0’s historic impact on energy in Australia in his piece for Renew Economy “Tomago and beyond: Why Australia will celebrate Snowy 2.0 – someday”
– Rick McElhinney was named in The CEO Magazine Global’s 2025 Sustainability Spotlight, joining an impressive group of leaders advancing climate-conscious innovation.
From the Queensland Energy Conference to national gatherings and technical workshops, 2025 has been a year of sustained engagement with partners, policymakers, and industry innovators.
The response to Sunshine Hydro’s vision — delivering reliable, nuclear-comparable 24/7 carbon-free energy at half the cost — has been resounding, and the appetite for Superhybrid™ partnerships continues to grow.
2025 has been Sunshine Hydro’s most significant year yet — a year where our ideas, technology, and leadership were recognised, challenged, expanded, and embraced.
Thank you to our team, collaborators, research partners, policymakers, and the many organisations who engaged with us throughout the year. Your support and shared ambition push us forward.
Happy holidays from all of us at Sunshine Hydro and here’s to a great 2026!
When the Tankers Don’t Come: Fuel Security and the Case for Domestic Biomethanol
April 8, 2026
Australia imports the overwhelming majority of its refined liquid fuels. We consume in the order of 50 billion litres of petroleum products annually. Our domestic stockholding sits at roughly 20 to 28 days of supply — well below the 90-day reserve obligation we committed to as a member of the International Energy Agency. We have been in technical breach of that commitment for over a decade.
