There has been a run of big battery announcements in Australia recently and they just keep on getting bigger!
This one from Neoen would be by far the biggest.
The project is being proposed at Goyder North, in South Australia, together with an adjoining 1,000 MW wind project. Neoen says the Goyder region has some of the best wind and solar resources in Australia.
The largest operational battery in Australia is currently the Victorian Big Battery near Geelong, at 300 MW and 450 MWh.
That will soon be overtaken by the Waratah Super Battery in NSW, at a whopping 850 MW and 1680 MWh.
A trio of big batteries south of Perth in WA are either under construction or being planned.
➡️ The 500 MW / 2,000 MWh Collie BESS owned by Synergy
➡️ The 560 MW / 2,240 MWh Collie battery owned by Neoen
➡️ And just last month, Trina solar submitted plans for a 660 MW / 2,640 MWh project
And batteries are already having a noticeable effect in WA, addressing the issue of ever declining minimum demand in the middle of the day. The record for lowest minimum demand was set last year. The record would have been broken again this year, but the first big battery is now charging up in the middle of the day, soaking up rooftop solar and lifting demand levels.
Neoen's Goyder North battery would be up to 900 MW and 3,600 MWh and would aim to reduce the state's reliance on expensive gas generation, lowering the wholesale prices of electricity in the state.
Batteries are a key part of the transition to wind and solar. They are quick to deploy, can be built almost anywhere and costs continue to fall!
Fri, Oct 18