Delivery of new renewable energy projects on time is critical to ensure Australia's biggest electricity system remains reliable for the next decade,the market operator has said.

The Australian Energy Market Operator(AEMO)on Thursday released its 10-year reliability outlook for the National Electricity Market(NEM),the wholesale market that connects the electricity grids of six of the nation's eight states and territories.

The report said the outlook for the NEM has improved due to new renewable electricity generation and storage projects but that delays in major projects could still threaten reliability in eastern and southern Australia as coal and gas-fired power plants are closed.

"It is critical that expected investments in generation,storage and transmission are delivered on time and in full,"AEMO Chief Executive Daniel Westerman said in a statement.

"If delays occur to projects already underway or further investment does not materialize,then the outlook for reliability will deteriorate."

The 2024 Electricity Statement of Opportunities(ESOO)report noted that renewable generation currently supplies 40 percent of electricity to the NEM.The federal government has set a target of 82 percent of Australia's electricity coming from renewable sources by 2030.

The ESOO said that 5.7 gigawatts(GW)of new generation and storage capacity projects have progressed sufficiently over the last year to be included in the report.

Additionally,it said a 365 kilometer transmission line in the state of New South Wales and a two-year extension in the life of the state's 2.9 GW Eraring coal plant,which is now scheduled to close in 2027,would improve reliability.

"This progress,along with delivery of transmission projects,a coal plant extension,and higher contribution from rooftop solar,has improved the reliability outlook,"Westerman said.

（Picture: Veer）