- ARENA awards eight grid-scale battery projects totalling a 2GW grant worth AUD 176 million.
- Operations should start by 2025, and their financial transactions should be concluded by 2023.
In a competitive round, the Australian Renewable Energy Agency awarded conditional grant money of AUD 176 million to eight grid-scale battery projects totalling 2 GW (ARENA). According to ARENA, the chosen proposals represent a total investment of AUD 2.7 billion. Twelve of the 54 expressions of interest in the competition were shortlisted to submit complete applications in July by the government agency.
The batteries will be able to stabilize the grid without the use of coal and gas engines thanks to grid-forming inverter technology. They want to start operating by 2025 and finish their financial transactions in 2023.
Separately, Risen Energy stated that the Bungama project is awaiting clearance for the facility’s grid connection and that startup is anticipated for the middle to end of 2024. At the Liddell coal-fired power station site, which will be shut down the following year, AGL will install batteries. In the meantime, France’s Neoen will upgrade the 300 MW/450 MWh Victorian Big Battery to include grid-forming capabilities while building two additional facilities.
The initiatives were chosen as a part of ARENA’s Large Scale Battery Storage Round in December 2021. The round’s initial goal was to award AUD 100 million in funding to encourage grid-scale batteries with advanced inverters, also called grid-forming inverters. However, due to “the outstanding quality of applications submitted,” the initial funding envelope was subsequently increased.