Aula Energy plans 1.8 GWh battery to ‘optimise’ 330 MW solar farm

Aula Energy, the renewables dedicated offshoot of finance giant Macquarie Asset Management, has unveiled plans to build a $350 million (USD 242 million) battery energy storage system (BESS) at the site of the 330 MW Wellington North Solar Farm in the New South Wales (NSW) Orana region.

The proposal is for a 365 MW BESS with five hours of storage capacity that Aula said will enable excess power generated during peak production periods to be stored and dispatched when required, improving the overall efficiency of the PV plant while helping to strengthen grid reliability.

“The proposed modification will support the optimisation of the solar farm and network electricity generation,” the company said, adding that “battery storage is an essential part of Australia’s renewable energy transition.”

“Combining battery storage with solar farms helps overcome the intermittent nature of renewable energy by storing excess power when production is high and releasing it during peak demand. This ensures a steady supply of power at all times.”

The Wellington North Solar Farm, located about seven kilometres northeast of Wellington within NSW’s Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone, has been fully operational since mid-2024, generating about 778,654 MWh of renewable electricity per year.

It is located alongside the 174 MW Wellington Solar Farm that commenced operations in late 2020.

Both the Wellington North and Wellington solar farms are owned and operated by Aula following an acquisition earlier this year.

Aula said the proposed BESS would be located within previously cleared land used for a laydown for the construction of the Wellington North Solar Farm.

The system would include approximately 288 battery containers, 96 storage inverters, 96 transformers, 96 power conversion systems, and a new 33 / 330 kV substation. The battery would make use of the existing 8.3 km 330 kV high voltage transmission line that connects the solar farm to the Wellington substation.

“By building on established infrastructure, the project is designed to strengthen the energy system while making better use of existing infrastructure,” Aula said.

The Australian-headquartered renewable energy business is targeting financial close in early 2027, subject to regulatory and commercial considerations.

Aula’s proposed battery is part of a growing move in the Australian utility-scale energy market with the standalone solar farm no longer the default project structure.

The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO)  Connections Scorecard for the June quarter shows batteries are the dominant technology in the 75 GW development pipeline, representing 53% of capacity, while hybrid solar-plus-battery projects account for 18% of total capacity.

At the same time, the developers behind 2.4 GW of solar projects commenced or completed processes to add a BESS, reflecting the industry’s growing interest in combining renewable generation with flexible storage.