LARGE BATTERY STORAGE SYSTEM TO HELP POWER THE HUNTER’S TRANSITION TO RENEWABLES
A first of its kind 28-megawatt Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), set to be installed in Newcastle, has been earmarked to help the Hunter transition into a renewable energy zone.
A development application for the battery has been lodged with Newcastle City Council, proposing it be built on approximately 1.5 acres inside the Steel River Estate.
If approved, the battery will be the first utility-scale BESS to be constructed in the Hunter and the first in Australia within an existing industrial precinct.
The project is the result of a joint venture partnership between two Australian companies – Precinct Capital and Edify.
Precinct Capital Chairman Bruce Baudinet says the battery facility will be designed to charge and discharge directly from the grid, responding to electricity market signals and disturbances to ensure stability of the grid as renewable energy penetration increases in coming years.
“Deploying this battery in the heart of Newcastle’s industrial precinct will help balance the power system for the City, keeping the lights on for industry and households throughout the region,” he said.
“The battery itself is about 2,500m2 or roughly 10 tennis courts in size and includes climate-controlled energy storage enclosures and grid connection infrastructure.”
Edify Chief Executive John Cole says the system will not only support businesses and the community in Newcastle by assisting in balancing the network, but also facilitate the integration of residential rooftop solar and utility scale renewable energy developments in the Hunter region.
“The project will act like a shock absorber within the electrical network, absorbing electricity from the grid when generation exceeds demand and export electricity to the grid at times of lower generation including during intermittent solar and wind resource,” Mr Cole said.
Subject to approval by Newcastle City Council, construction and commissioning should be completed in six to eight months and provide between 20 and 30 direct jobs during the construction period.
Additional contracting opportunities for local Newcastle businesses will also be provided throughout both construction and operation.
Newcastle Lord Mayor Nuatali Nelmes says the City is very supportive of renewable and energy efficiency projects and working collaboratively with other progressive organisations.
“This joint project provides benefits to the local area and wider community, including alignment with City of Newcastle’s objectives as outlined in the Climate Action Plan (CAP) through firming renewable energy supply, along with building resilience in the local Newcastle electricity network through a megawatt scale battery storage,” said Cr Nelmes.
“This a world class large-scale battery storage investment in the Newcastle area, and a first-of-its-kind project for the region, creating a blueprint for additional investments and local innovation.”
