United Kingdom headquartered renewable energy generation and storage developer Lightsource bp has officially commenced delivery on a 49 MW / 562 MWh long-duration energy storage (LDES) battery, its first DC‑coupled storage project globally.
Co-located near Merriwa, New South Wales (NSW) with the 585 MWdc Goulburn River solar farm, 340 kilometres northwest of Sydney, Goulburn River is one of the first large-scale DC-coupled solar-battery hybrid projects to enter construction in Australia.
Backed by a long‑term energy service agreement (LTESA) ) through the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, the solar farm benefits from the Commonwealth’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), the company says two more co-located large-scale batteries are planned for the site.
One of these – a 450 MW / 1,370 MWh standalone battery was recently announced as having secured support under the CIS.
Lightsource bp Asia-Pacific Chief Operating Officer Adam Pegg said reaching this stage on the Goulburn River battery is more than a construction milestone, it shows how firmed renewables havve progressed to a critical component of Australia’s energy future.
“This project also demonstrates why international capital is flowing to Australia. Energy policy certainty and tools like NSW’s Roadmap and the Commonwealth’s CIS provide investors the confidence they need, while our technology choices maximise every renewable electron possible,” Pegg said.
“That means more jobs, helping to reduce power bills and a grid that can meet booming demand from data centres, electrified transport and advanced manufacturing.”
Pegg added that by demonstrating long-duration storage can firm solar generation, peak periods can be covered enabling coal to retire on or ahead of schedule.
Goulburn River forms part of an 8 GW pipeline that Lightsource bp is progressing across Australia and New Zealand, many of which combine large-scale generation with storage.
These include the 850 MWdc Sandy Creek Solar Farm, along with a co-located 700 MW / 1,400 MWh battery in NSW, both of which have secured Access Rights within the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ), and the solar farm also benefits from additional support through the CIS.
Lightsource bp is also progressing similar hybrid projects across Queensland, NSW, Victoria, and Western Australia.
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