South Australia will be getting another battery storage facility which will be completed by February next year.
The $30 million battery storage plant will have a capacity of 30 Megawatts and will complement the 129 MW hour Tesla project.
The plant will be connected to AGL’s Wattle Point Wind Farm at Yorke Peninsula’s Dalyrmple substation near Yorktown.
Battery storage facility to be built by ElectraNet
Network operator ElectraNet will design, build and own the battery but will lease out commercial operations to an energy retailer which has yet to be named. Given that AGL owns the wind farm it is connected to, they will be among the front runners.
The $30 million project, to be will receive up to $12 million in funds from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
The setup is similar to the one undertaken by Elon Musk’s Tesla and French wind farm operators Neoen near Jamestown.
South Australia’s energy plan includes more battery storage
South Australia has been very proactive in securing new sources of energy generation after last summer’s storms overloaded the system when wind farms went into safety shutdown mode.
As part of a $550 million energy plan, South Australia has added 240 MW of power generation at the Pelican Point power station.
In addition, the Tesla battery, the Neoen wind farm and nine backup gas turbines which will provide 275 MW of power in cases of emergency are also in the pipeline.
The government has also commissioned a solar thermal plant from Solar Reserve which will serve the energy needs of all state government capital projects.
Battery storage will ease pressure – Frydenberg
Federal Energy Minister Josh Frydenberg said the Yorke Peninsula battery storage facility will reduce pressure on the Victorian interconnector, helping balance the grid.
ARENA chief executive officer Ivor Frischknecht said the battery will complement Tesla’s state-owned battery to deliver reliable, secure power.
He said it will be the first large-scale, grid-connected battery to be designed, built and commercially operated in Australia.
Speaking to the media, he said: “It may not be the biggest battery in the world but, pound for pound, it will pack a big punch in demonstrating how utility-scale storage can contribute to a stronger South Australian energy network.”
The ARENA Chief said battery storage is a key enabler as Australia transitions to a system powered by variable renewable energy like wind and solar.
South Australia Prime Minister Jay Weatherill said battery storage is the future for the national energy market, saying SA’s deal with Tesla had made the state a global leader.
The Yorke Peninsula battery will provide backup power in the nearby area, supply network frequency security services and provide power to the national market.
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