Hydro Tasmania virtual power plant kicks first of 39 community battery goals

Two federally funded community batteries with a combined capacity of 700 kW / 1,400 kWh have been installed at the Brisbane Lions’ clubhouse; the first in a rollout of 39 to be managed by Hydro Tasmania’s virtual power plant.

February 26, 2025 Ev Foley

Image: Brisbane Lions

Two federally funded battery energy storage systems (BESS) with a combined capacity of 700 kW / 1,400 kWh have been installed at the Queensland-based Australian Football League (AFL) Brisbane Lions’ clubhouse.

The batteries are part of a 39-battery build by subsidiary of Hydro Tasmania, Melbourne-based energy company Momentum Energy, with the systems being developed by Brisbane-based renewable energy company Energy Decarb.

The Brisbane Lions’ community BESS will allow excess solar or grid energy to be stored and sold into the national electricity market (NEM) when needed, via Hydro Tasmania’s virtual power plant (VPP).

Momentum Energy Managing Director Lisa Chiba said the opportunity for the project to demonstrate the value of connecting batteries to the Hydro Tasmania VPP will showcase how a VPP can help drive additional revenue from these batteries to support project participants like the Brisbane Lions.

“A VPP can help make a more compelling case for investment in batteries and can also play a key role in stabilising the electricity grid as it transitions to having more renewable energy sources including intermittent power sources like solar and wind,” Chiba said.

The Brisbane Lions’ club house batteries will use locally generated solar toward powering field lights at night, with excess solar feeding back into the grid.

The Lions are also investing in a 770 kW solar system, public electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure, and workplace charging for players and staff.

Energy Decarb Chief Executive Officer Yvonne Macleod said the batteries are expected to absorb approximately 520 MWh of excess solar power from the local electricity network per year to supply that stored solar back to the network during high demand periods in the evening.

“The capacity of the first stage of this battery project could meet the peak demand of approximately 170 average households in South East Queensland each day,” Macleod said.

“When the Brisbane Lions are playing televised events at Brighton Homes Arena, the battery will be discharging to reduce the peak demand at the site by up to 50%. This will reduce the pressure and demand on the electricity network and the need for additional investment in the electricity grid over time.”

Included in the rollout of 39 community batteries will be installations at Collingwood Football Club, Melbourne and Cricket Victoria, while in South Australia (SA) installs are scheduled for Living Choice Australia retirement villages at Flagstaff Hill and Fullarton, a Living Choice lifestyle village at Mount Barker, the Aston Hills and Athelstone shopping centres, and solar farms in the Riverland.

New South Wales installations will be done at the University of Wollongong and Tweed Heads Bowls Club.

Hydro Tasmania received $11 million (USD 6.9 million) from an overall $120 funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) community batteries round one under the advancing renewables program (ARP).

It was one of 11 non-distributed network service providers (DNSPs) allocated funds in round one, with 10 DNSPs committing to a total of 370 community batteries of which 21 are conditionally approved (at the time of publishing).

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