FERM contracts boost French developer’s storage total in Australia to 2.7 GW / 9 GWh

France-owned clean energy and storage developer Neoen Australia has surpassed 2.7 GW / 9.1 GWh in operation or under construction of battery storage energy in Australia after being awarded two 15-year, 75 MW / 8-hour capacity services contracts in South Australia’s (SAs) inaugural Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism (FERM) tender.

The contracts will be delivered by Stages 1 and 2 of Goyder Battery (454 MW / 1,814 MWh), with battery storage supplier Tesla and balance of plant contractor UGL (a member of the CIMIC Group) notified to proceed for Stage 1 (227 MW / 907 MWh) in December 2025 and now launching an equally sized Stage 2.

The project is part of Goyder Renewables Zone, located in the state’s mid-north region near the historic town of Burra, approximately 165 kilometres north of Adelaide.

Goyder Battery will connect to Australian Utilities Trust (AUT) and State Grid Corporation of China- jointly owned transmission company  ElectraNet’s Bundey substation and will be one of the first projects in Australia to deploy Tesla’s new Megablock technology, a pre-engineered, plug-and-play utility scale battery energy storage system (BESS).

Neoen Australia Pacific Regional Chief Executive Officer Jean-Christophe Cheylus said the launch of the second stage of Goyder Battery, just six months after the first, highlights the pace at which battery storage is becoming critical to Australia’s clean energy future.

“This is our 12th battery with Tesla in Australia, taking our combined capacity beyond 2 GW, and our ninth project with UGL. We are very proud of the role we continue to play in the State’s rapid transition to renewables,” Cheylus said.

SA Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis said South Australia’s FERM is fast-tracking private investment in large-scale battery energy storage systems that will collectively more than double our state’s battery storage capacity.

“That will significantly bolster the resilience of South Australia’s energy system. Neoen has already played a leading role in South Australia’s energy transition, and its Goyder Battery project is a big part of delivering on the next chapter in our journey.“

Site works will commence in August 2026, and the asset is expected to start operating in 2028.