8 EVO Power battery systems rolling out to keep the lights on in Sydney’s West

Victorian utility-scale battery energy storage system manufacturer EVO Power is supplying a suite of eight battery energy storage systems (BESS) for deployment in Greater Western Sydney.

Together, the eight systems will capture surplus local rooftop solar generation, supporting network reliability during extreme weather events, including heatwaves, which are common to the Western Sydney region and where in January 2020 a high of 48.9°C was recorded.

Combined, the eight batteries will deliver 40 MW of power and 136 MWh of storage, equal to the approximate power needs of 40,000 homes for up to three hours, using EVO Power’s AMP liquid-cooled, lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) containerised solution.

The AMP system is a locally designed, tested and manufactured medium voltage BESS using Tier 1 inverter technology with 2 – 5 MVA. Nominal energy, dependent on the configuration of one or more containers, starts at 379.3 kWh. 

Each comes with built-in heaters, chillers, and fire suppression with 1P54 rating.

The privately funded $65 million (USD 46.9 million) portfolio rollout in Western Sydney will be delivered by wholly-owned subsidiary of Endeavour Energy Group (EEG), infrastructure business Ausconnex.

Construction has begun on the first in BESS site at Penrith, 57 kilometres west of the Sydney CBD, and the all eight BESS are scheduled for completion in 2029.

Suburbs to follow include South Marsden Park, Seven Hills, Emu Plains, Maldon, North Leppington, Cawdor and Cranebrook.

EVO Power Chief Executive Officer Jamie Allen said the project demonstrates the growing importance of battery storage in enabling the energy transition.

“As our electricity networks continue to evolve, scalable energy storage solutions are essential to enhancing grid resilience, supporting greater renewable energy integration, and meeting the energy demands of rapidly growing communities,” Allen said.

“Projects such as the [eight] BESS highlight the critical role battery energy storage will play in Australia’s energy future.”