Energy Storage

AGL’s nose pushes in front in the race that stores the nation with the announcement that construction on its 250 MW one-hour-duration battery at the site of its Torrens Island power station in South Australia is now underway. The announcement follows directly on from AGL having lodged a planning application for a 200 MW battery at its Loy Yang power station in Victoria.

MinterEllison’s second annual ‘Renewables Investment Report’ finds that over the past year Australia has become a safe haven for investment… The maturity of its renewable opportunities seems to outweigh existing challenges. 

Battery capacity in the distributed and large-scale sectors continues to grow, according the annual reckoning of the SunWiz oracle. Although still a complex proposition, for homeowners, battery potential is beginning to be utilised in the hundreds of megawatts by governments and utilities, with some interesting side hustles in the mid-sized energy-storage category.

Earlier this month, London-based Eco Energy World announced a $500 million project to combine its ready to build 300 MW solar plant north of Gladstone, Queensland, with a 200 MW hydrogen plant and 100 MW of battery energy storage. pv magazine Australia sat down with EEW CEO Svante Kumlin to discuss the project, the green hydrogen future, and Australia’s future in it.

Redflow has signed its biggest global battery deal yet after agreeing to supply Californian biowaste tech firm Anaergia with a 2 MWh energy storage system. Redflow is hoping the US$1.2 million agreement for 192 of its zinc-bromine flow batteries will serve as a foundation for US market expansion.

The first stage of Neoen’s gigantic $3bn Goyder South Project in South Australia has received planning approval on the same day the French renewables company set out ambitions to exceed 10 GW in capacity by 2025, expansion largely planned in leading markets such as Australia.

Australian mining technology company TNG Limited has had its flagship Mount Peake Project, which includes production plans for vanadium redox flow batteries and green hydrogen, recognised as nationally signifiant.

Last year the New South Wales Government announced plans to retire several of the iconic Manly ferries and replace them with smaller vessels. However, the recent launch of the world’s largest electric ferry in Norway has one Aussie billionaire asking whether the new Manly ferries should be electric?

With reins tightly held by China, a handful of players are trying to prise the production of a core ingredient of lithium-ion batteries out of Goliath’s hand before the battery boom begins in earnest with the electrification of the transport sector. The head of one of those companies, WA start-up International Graphite, spoke to pv magazine Australia about the hunger of both investors and customers, and the surprisingly collaborative race to feed global demand.

Australia’s infrastructure advisory body has added a number of renewable energy-related projects to its priority list, recognising the need for investment in the “once-in-a-lifetime transition from thermal generation to intermittent renewables.”