Aussie Big Battery Obsession

[Mart]

What is it with Aus, and these batts, they keep setting new records. Maybe the combination of reliable and predictable solar, plus good onshore wind has shown them just how much gas they can displace at times. Plus they are closing coal power stations even faster than planned. Maybe a bit late to the party, but there's no stopping them now.

Acen wins approval to build Australia’s biggest battery

The New England region of New South Wales is to host Australia’s biggest battery yet, after renewables developer Acen Australia won approval to boost the size of its New England solar battery to a massive 1.4GW (1,400 MW) and 2.8 GWh, or two hours of storage.

The battery, which is being built alongside Acen’s huge 720MW New England solar farm, was originally approved as a 200MW, two-hour facility, but this week got the all-clear from the state government to be super-sized.

If built to that capacity it will surpass the 850 MW/1680 MWh Waratah Super battery and the newly announced 500 MW/2000 MWh Collie battery in Western Australia.

Origin Energy’s planned Eraring battery is sized at 700 MW and 2800 MWh (or four hours storage), although the first stage is set to be smaller at 460 MW and 920 MWh.

“An application to modify the development consent for the project has now been approved by the Department of Planning and Environment, which includes an increase to its battery energy storage capacity of 1,400MW/2hr, or 2,800 megawatt hours,” a company statement says.

[Mr Gus]

What makes it more impressive is this is all against a tide of keep coal kill renewables rhetoric from their 60+ years out of sync government.

The useful nature of solar in AUS is now becoming mainstream knowledge & accepted tech, from there in a 1st world economy with so much frickin solar there should be no contest as to deploying solar & battery combo's

I want to see more land rejuvenation via solar (please)

[Mart]

Hiya Gus - have to say that I find Aus fascinating. Since their change of Gov a year or so back, things have accelerated fast. But, tbf, I think the economics of RE were battering down the old guard already. Hard to promote coal, and slag off RE, when a quarter of households have PV, and realise just how great the economics and potential are.

What a change from the previous leaders, carrying coal into a debate on AGW, and arguing that the Hornsdale Reserve (biggest battery in the World at the time), was no more important than having the biggest bananna in the World ...... some bananna, that comment certainly didn't age well.

Seeing the same with the BEV's too, old Gov criticised them, said they'd spoil the weekend (not able to tow boats etc), but Aussies are transitioning fast now (similar to the US, with sales %ages about 2yrs behind the UK). One major hurdle was the lack of emissions standards, so legacy auto had no incentive to send any BEV's to Aus, as there were no fleet emissions standards to meet. But Tesla and China upset that apple cart.