Flow Power has announced the financial close on the 100 MW / 223 MWh Bennetts Creek battery energy storage system project being developed in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley with construction expected to be completed in 2028.
The stand-alone battery energy storage facility will be built at Hazelwood North in Victoria’s southeast, near the site of the decommissioned coal-fired Hazelwood power station. The project will include the installation of a new 66 kV transmission line connecting to the existing Morwell terminal substation.
Newcastle-headquartered Zenviron has been engaged to deliver the balance-of-plant design, construction, installation and commissioning while Finland-based Wärtsilä Energy has been awarded the contract to provide battery technology and intelligent control systems.
The project will utilise Wärtsilä’s Quantum energy storage system and the company’s GEMS controls and optimisation software will serve as the project’s intelligent power plant controller.
Construction of the project will commence in 2026 and the facility is expected to be operational in 2028.
Wärtsilä Australia Managing Director Suraj Narayan said the battery will strengthen grid stability as traditional generators retire and also provide essential ancillary services, such as frequency regulation.
“This project demonstrates how advanced batteries can deliver both reliability and revenue,” he said.
“As the National Electricity Market transitions to a lower carbon system with increasing variable renewable energy, systems with strong frequency response capabilities, like Bennetts Creek, will be ideally positioned to tap into these new high-value opportunities.”
Flow Power Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer Byron Serjeantson said the project is part of the Melbourne-based company’s strategy to pair long-term renewable energy offtake agreements with large-scale storage to support its power purchase agreement customer base.
“Bennetts Creek is our eleventh project to date, and first large-scale standalone battery. It represents a significant milestone for Flow Power,” he said.
“Once operational, the project will help us provide more homes and businesses with access to innovative, firmed renewable energy products, as well as strengthen our growing project portfolio across the National Electricity Market.”
Flow Power said project financing has been provided by Westpac and SMBC Australia and supported by its majority shareholder, Canadian pension fund OPTrust.
Bennetts Creek marks Wärtsilä’s tenth battery project in Australia, expanding its local footprint to more than 6 GWh of capacity.
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