Energy Storage

International oil giant Shell has provided New South Wales startup MGA Thermal with “gamechanger” funding to accelerate the completion of a commercial-scale pilot plant designed to demonstrate the role the company’s energy storage technology could play in the Australian energy market.

The New South Wales Labor Party plans to tip in $1 billion (USD 690 million) to create a state-owned energy corporation which will partner with the private sector to accelerate investment in pumped hydro, community batteries and renewables to support the state’s energy transition.

Last December, Australia’s first large-scale battery funding round fast-tracked eight new grid-forming projects with a combined capacity of 2.0 GW / 4.2 GWh. That same month, the country’s fresh federal government announced it would enact a major underwriting scheme to incentivise renewable storage across the country. The moves echo those which inaugurated big solar in Australia, but the transformative potential of these storage plays will, it seems, take a different shape.

Malaysian oil and gas giant Petronas’ clean energy business Gentari has finalised its acquisition of Wirsol Energy’s Australian renewables assets, including 422 MW of operational capacity across solar and storage facilities, and 765 MW of potential capacity under development.

The New South Wales government has announced an $8 million (USD 5.5 million) pilot program which will support the entire electrification of three communities across the state. It is anticipated the initiative will include the deployment of solar, batteries and local electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

With energy storage critical to the future of sustainable energy, Cornwall Insight Australia Energy Consultant Con Dimitrakakis examines how operators can optimise the trading profit of a solar-storage hybrid system when wholesale market prices are low and solar energy generation is high.

German industrial giant Siemens has partnered with Swinburne University of Technology to develop a future grid mapping “energy transition hub.” The project seeks to accelerate the transition to renewable energies by bringing research and industry together while also serving as a learning tool for Swinburne students.

Western Australia-based Hybrid Systems Australia has commissioned 42 MW of interconnected battery storage for two Fortescue mine sites in the Pilbara region, noting the installation is one of the largest for a mining application.

Western Australia’s regional utility Horizon Power has installed a battery system in Exmouth on the state’s northern coast, unlocking 2 MW of solar hosting capacity. The installation is one of nine batteries being installed by the utility across the state and is arguably a more effective rendition of a “community battery.”

UK-headquartered fund manager Glennmont Partners has its sights firmly set on the Australian renewable energy market after announcing it plans to acquire, build and operate a portfolio of large-scale solar farms and energy storage assets as part of a $145 million (USD 100 million) strategy.