Thousands of delegates were due to attend the Adelaide IREC 2024 event scheduled for April, but the event will not go ahead.

“We regretfully inform the REN21 community that the Clean Energy Council has had to make the hard decision to forego hosting AusIREC in 2024 in South Australia, due to the crowded international renewables conference calendar and impact this had on the commercial viability of delivering the event,” organisers said in a statement on the event’s website.

“We thank everyone for their patience as we explored alternative options and again regret having to come to the conclusion that AusIREC will not go ahead.

“We look forward to continuing to be active members of the REN21 community and working with you all in the future.”

IREC 2024 was announced in January 2023 by the Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis, who said that securing the event was “a real feather in South Australia’s cap”.

The conference was meant to bring 3500 global leaders from government, industry, science and more together to share the latest developments in renewable energy.

It was also pegged as an opportunity to strengthen international trade partnerships. In the government’s announcement, Adelaide was lauded as an “ideal destination” for the event, “with South Australia’s world-leading transformation of renewables in their grid, and a sound track record in navigating technical challenges in renewable integration”.

Koutsantonis told InDaily he was “extremely disappointed” the event had been cancelled.

“We saw this as a good opportunity to showcase South Australia’s global leadership on renewable energy to an international audience,” he said.

“However, the fact Adelaide was chosen to host this event in the first place demonstrates the world is already taking clear notice of the work we have done – including reaching more than 75 per cent generation from renewables – as well as our significant plans for the future, in particular our Hydrogen Jobs Plan.”