- Battery storage projects with at least 1GWh of capacity have been proposed or progressed in Australia by Synergy, SkyLab and the Queensland government.
- E-mobility and energy storage company NHOA started installation work on the latter in August last year.
Battery storage projects with at least 1GWh of capacity have been proposed or progressed in Australia by Synergy, SkyLab and the Queensland government. The Queensland government said a site had been chosen in Emerald, Central Queensland, for a 4MW/8MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) project yesterday (20 March). The announcement said the town is home to nearly 2,000 home solar systems, and the BESS will allow the capture of that renewable energy and drive down bills.
Construction has also started on a 50MW BESS project near Gracemere, also in Queensland, though the government did not provide a commercial operation date (COD) for either. State-owned Ergon Energy will own the 4MW/8MWh project.
Queensland’s Minister for Rural Communities, Mark Furner, said, “The great value of locating this new battery project in Emerald is that it will support additional solar energy in the local area over the next decade.” Also, the state’s general manager for Energy Storage, Glenn Dahlenburg, added, “As we connect more renewables for our customers, battery storage will give us greater flexibility to connect rooftop solar, balance supply and demand, and keep voltages in check, which is vital for the security of the network that powers Queensland.”
Developer SkyLab launched a development application with the Toowoomba Regional Council for its Punch’s Creek Renewable Energy Project on 9 March. The project would pair an 800MW/1GWp solar PV array with a 200MW/250MWh BESS unit and would be located in the South West Queensland Renewable Energy Zone. Also, Synergy unveiled plans for a 200MW/800MWh battery energy to adjoining a 100MW/200MWh system it is already building at the decommissioned Kwinana power station south of Perth, according to local reports. E-mobility and energy storage company NHOA started installation work on the latter in August last year.