Akaysha Energy, a battery storage developer backed by United States investment giant BlackRock, has reached a final investment decision (FID) on the 205 MW / 410 MWh Brendale battery energy storage system to be built in Queensland state capital Brisbane’s northern suburbs.
The project, to be built on a site owned by Unitywater, next to its Brendale sewage works and the South Pine substation, the central node of Queensland’s electricity grid.
Construction of the Brendale battery, which will feature Tesla Megapack technology, is expected to start in March 2024 with balance of plant and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) to be delivered by Consolidated Power Projects. It is anticipated the first tranche of batteries will be due for energisation in July 2025.
Akaysha said the Brendale battery will provide ancillary services, such as energy arbitrage, contingency and regulation frequency control ancillary services (FCAS), to support the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Akaysha Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Nick Carter said the Brendale project is an important element of the company’s portfolio in not only Queensland but the NEM more broadly.
“This is a really key and important asset in the Akaysha Energy Queensland battery portfolio and general Australian portfolio,” he said.
“It’s been a massive lift from the Akaysha Energy team across all pillars to get this project across the line, including legal/commercial, engineering, and energy markets, asset management, finance, investment, and development and delivery.”
The progress on the Brendale project comes amid a flurry of activity for Akaysha in the battery energy storage sector.
Akaysha, which was acquired by BlackRock in 2022, has nine battery energy storage projects across the NEM, including the 850 MW/ 1,680 MWh Waratah Super Battery that is now being constructed in the New South Wales (NSW) Upper Hunter region.
In November, the company was awarded a long-term energy service agreement (LTESA) to support financial close and continue the construction and commissioning of the 415 MW/ 1,660 MWh Orana Battery Energy Storage System in central-west NSW.
In the same month it reached FID on the 150 MW / 300 MWh Ulinda Park big battery planned for Queensland’s Western Downs region Ulinda, and received development approval for the 311 MW / 1244 MWh Elaine battery being developed in Victoria.
Other projects include the 100 MW / 200 MWh Palmerston battery project in Tasmania and a 400 MW/ 1,600 MWh big battery at Wurdong Heights near Gladstone in Queensland.
In South Australia, Akaysha is developing the 200 MW / 800 MWh Mobilong battery near Murray Bridge and the Brinkworth battery energy storage system and solar farm. The Brinkworth project, being developed near Clare in the state’s mid-north, will include a 300 MW / 1,200 MWh battery with up to four hours of energy storage, and a 200 MWp solar farm.
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