EnergyAustralia has announced plans to develop a grid-scale battery in Canowie, about 210 kilometres north of Adelaide. The proposed Hallett Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) would have an initial storage capacity of 50 MW and discharge capacity of up to 200 MWh.
EnergyAustralia Head of Portfolio Development Daniel Nugent said the aim is to expand its capacity to 150 MW and 600 MWh after the initial stage is completed.
Nugent said good progress has already been made in the planning of the Hallett battery which the electricity gen-tailer expects will allow it to transition its gas-fired power station to be in strategic reserve, decrease emissions, and support more renewables coming into the system.
“We’re seeking to develop the battery on land we own alongside our power station, bringing some big benefits for construction and delivery certainty, so for example, we can use the existing transmission infrastructure avoiding the need to build new transmission lines on private land,” Nugent said.
EnergyAustralia said while assessments and community consultations are yet to be completed but, subject to approvals, the Hallett battery is expected to be operational as early as the beginning of 2026.
The project forms part of EnergyAustralia’s broader Climate Transition Action Plan (CTAP) announced last year, which is targeting net zero by 2050.
“Our decarbonisation plan includes the closure of the Yallourn power station and brown coal mine in mid-2028 and the transition of Mt Piper toward a lower total emissions renewables firming role and ultimately a reserve role before retirement by 2040,” EnergyAustralia Managing Director Mark Collette said at the time.
EnergyAustralia has allocated $5 billion (USD 3.3 billion) for energy storage and renewables initiatives as it seeks to accelerate the expansion of its renewable portfolio to include up to 3 GW of renewable energy, committed or operating by 2030, including direct investments and power purchase agreements.
The Hallett battery follows a string of big battery announcements from EnergyAustralia in recent times. The company has announced plans to install a 500 MW / 2,000 MWh battery energy storage system adjacent to its Mt Piper coal-fired power station in New South Wales.
It is also received approval to develop a 350 MW/ 1,400 MWh battery energy storage system alongside its Jeeralang gas-fired power station in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.
Author: EV FOLEY
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