Akaysha to begin building 300 MWh Ulinda Park battery project

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Akaysha Energy, the battery storage developer owned by United State-based investment giant BlackRock, has reached a final investment decision (FID) and finalised a balance of plant contract for the $150 million (USD 96.3 million) Ulinda Park project which will include a 150 MW battery, with two hours of storage at maximum output.

The Ulinda Park battery energy storage system is being developed adjacent to the Western Downs substation at Hopeland near Chinchilla in Queensland’s Western Downs region.

Melbourne-based Akaysha said the project will support the rapid expansion of solar and wind projects leveraging existing transmission infrastructure in the region.

Akaysha said construction of the first phase of the Ulinda Park project, which will involve the installation of a 150 MW/300 MWh battery featuring lithium Iron phosphate (LFP) cell technology, would begin this month. The battery is expected to commence commercial operations in 2025.

Adelaide-headquartered Consolidated Power Projects (CPP) has been awarded the engineering, procurement, and construction contract with Akaysha handing the battery equipment supply agreement to US battery specialist Powin and eks Energy.

Akaysha Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer Nick Carter said reaching FID is an “amazing milestone” for the company which has also secured the contract to deliver the 850 MW/1.68 GWh Waratah Super Battery project in New South Wales.

“Ulinda Park was our first-ever development at Akaysha Energy right back at the start, so we have a soft spot for it,” he said. “The Waratah Super Battery gets a lot of the attention/headlines, but the unsung heroes of the Akaysha Energy battery portfolio will become Ulinda Park BESS and the other large battery developments that are rapidly marching towards FID across the NEM.”

Other projects in Akaysha’s development pipeline include the Orana energy storage project near Wellington in central-west NSW, which is to deliver a 400 MW to 1600 MW big battery with up to 1600 MWh of energy storage capacity.

It is also developing the 200 MW/400 MWh Brendale BESS in Queensland, the 200 MW/800 MWh Elaine big battery in Victoria, the 100 MW/200 MWh Palmerston battery energy storage system in Tasmania, and the 200 MW/800 MWh Mobilong big battery in South Australia. The company has also announced plans to develop a 300 MW/1,200 MWh battery and 200 MWp solar farm near Brinkworth in South Australia’s mid-north region.

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