The ACT authorities has formally switched on its first large battery, describing it as a major milestone because the capital territory – already offering the equal of 100 per cent of its electrical energy wants from wind and photo voltaic – marches on to full electrification.
The 10MW/20MWh Queanbeyan battery is certainly one of not less than two large batteries commissioned by the ACT authorities in its most up-to-date renewables tender that may guarantee it may well meet the inexperienced vitality wants of electrical automobiles and the change from fuel to electrical home equipment in residence and companies.
The battery – which truly started working in November – was constructed as a part of a successful contract awarded by International Energy Era, a subsidiary of Spanish vitality big Naturgy, to construct the 1-7MW Berrybank 2 wind farm in Victoria’s Western Plains.
In the identical public sale, Neoen was awarded a contract to construct a 50MW/100MWh – it has since expanded this to 100MW and 200MWh – in addition to an off-take settlement for a part of the primary stage of the Goyder South wind complicated in South Australia.
Chief minister and minister for local weather ac ion Andrew Barr mentioned Canberra has attracted greater than $2 billion {dollars} of funding in large-scale wind and photo voltaic infrastructure throughout Australia, and greater than $500 million {dollars} of funding instantly into the Canberra area.
“This battery is a major first for town, given vitality storage and battery expertise are a essential part of our zero emissions future,” he mentioned on the opening ceremony within the Canberra suburb off Beard.
“We now have much more battery storage on the horizon for the ACT, with an extra 250 MW of grid-scale and neighbourhood batteries to be put in within the coming years as a part of our Huge Canberra Battery Undertaking.”
The ACT minister for vitality Shane Rattenbury mentioned extra renewables and storage was wanted to assist the ACT’s transition away from fossil fuels.
“The ACT continues to be a pacesetter in Australia and the world in our response to local weather change and our renewable vitality ambition,” he mentioned.
“From the petrol in our vehicles to the fuel cooktops, hot-water methods and heating in our houses, fossil fuels make up a major proportion of the vitality combine within the ACT. As we transition away from fossil fuels, demand for electrical energy goes to extend.
“Vitality storage and battery expertise is a essential part of town’s zero-emissions future as we transfer in the direction of electrification, in order that the ACT continues to profit from a safe, dependable and inexpensive vitality community.
GPG is planning to spend greater than €2 billion to succeed in a complete of two.2GW of put in wind, photo voltaic and storage in Australia by 2025.
It already operates the 96MW Crookwell 2 wind farm in NSW, and the 180MW Berrybank 1 wind farm in Victoria, with Berrybank 2 wind farm presently below commissioning, and one other 630MW of wind tasks together with the Ryan Nook, Hawkesdale, Crookwell 3 and Paling Yards wind farms.
“The launch of economic operation of this facility represents an essential step in strengthening our contribution to the vitality transition,” GPG’s chief enterprise improvement oficer, Pedro Serrano mentioned in an announcement.
Giles Parkinson is founder and editor of Renew Economic system, and can also be the founding father of One Step Off The Grid and founder/editor of the EV-focused The Pushed. Giles has been a journalist for 40 years and is a former enterprise and deputy editor of the Australian Monetary Evaluate.