Queensland government-owned utility CS Energy announced that the 100 MW / 200 MWh Chinchilla battery has completed its commissioning process and is now helping to support the reliability of the state’s electricity grid during peak demand periods.
CS Energy said the $150 million (USD 98.75 million) grid-scale battery, that was connected to the electricity network via Powerlink’s 275 kV Western Downs substation late last year, will add extra flexible capacity to the grid, storing excess solar power during the day and then releasing it quickly when it is needed most.
CS Energy Chief Executive Officer Darren Busine said the project, that includes 80 Tesla Megapack modules featuring lithium iron phosphate technology, has undergone a comprehensive commissioning program that tested the battery under a range of operating conditions, ensuring it operates safely and reliably.
“Getting the Chinchilla Battery ready for commercial operation has taken a large effort from many people and teams across our entire business, from the team at site who will operate and maintain the asset to our traders in Brisbane who will dispatch its output into the grid,” he said.
The Chinchilla battery, Queensland’s first publicly owned big battery, is the first completed project at CS Energy’s planned Kogan Clean Energy Hub.
CS Energy is developing clean energy hubs alongside its Kogan Creek and Callide power station sites as part of a broader strategy to diversify its generation portfolio and to support Queensland’s future energy needs.
In addition to the battery, the Kogan Clean Energy Hub also includes the Kogan Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant which is to feature a 1 MW hydrogen electrolyser powered by a co-located 2 MW solar farm. Construction of the solar-powered hydrogen facility, which is expected to deliver approximately 75 tonnes of green hydrogen annually commenced last year, with commissioning of the project expected later this year.
The hub is to also include a 400 MW gas peaking power plant that will initially be capable of operating on 35% renewable hydrogen, with a pathway to 100% hydrogen over time, a move that will decrease Queensland’s reliance on fossil gas.
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