ARENA​ ​to​ ​help​ ​fund​ ​30 MW​ ​South Australia​ ​battery project

A​ ​new​ ​large-scale​ ​battery,​ ​​will​ ​be​ ​built​ ​in​ ​South​ ​Australia​ ​with​ ​support​ ​from the​ ​Australian​ ​Renewable​ ​Energy​ ​Agency​ ​(ARENA).

The​ ​Minister​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Environment​ ​and​ ​Energy has​ ​announced that​ ​the​ ​Agency​ ​would​ ​provide​ ​up​ ​to​ ​AUD12​ ​million (US$9.54 million)​ ​in​ ​funding​ ​toward​ ​a​ ​30MW,​ ​8MWh​ ​battery at​ ​the​ ​Dalrymple​ ​substation​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Yorke​ ​Peninsula.

The​ ​battery​, ​the​ ​second​ ​phase​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Energy​ ​Storage​ ​for Commercial​ ​Renewable​ ​Integration​ ​(ESCRI)​ ​project​, ​is expected​ ​to​ ​cost​ ​around​ AUD30​ ​million (US$24 million).

ESCRI​ ​Phase​ ​1​ ​consisted​ ​of​ ​a​ ​study​ ​into​ ​the​ ​potential​ ​for​ ​energy​ ​storage​ ​to​ ​benefit​ ​the South​ ​Australian​ ​network.​ ​It​ ​has​ ​allowed​ ​key​ ​aspects​ ​of​ ​a​ ​utility​ ​scale​ ​battery,​ ​such​ ​as revenue​ ​generation,​ ​to​ ​be​ ​thoroughly​ ​planned​ ​ahead​ ​of​ ​today’s​ ​announcement.

The project will supply​ ​Fast​ ​Frequency​ ​Response​ ​(FFR)​,​ ​which​ ​helps​ ​balance​ ​the​ ​electricity​ ​network, particularly​ ​in​ ​the​ ​context​ ​of​ ​increased​ ​levels​ ​of​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​generation.​ ​This capability​ ​will​ ​also​ ​be​ ​used​ ​to​ ​help​ ​reduce​ ​operating​ ​constraints​ ​on​ ​the​ ​Heywood interconnector​ ​with​ ​Victoria​ ​which,​ ​in​ ​turn,​ ​has​ ​the​ ​potential​ ​to​ ​place​ ​downward​ ​pressure on​ ​wholesale​ ​energy​ ​prices​ ​in​ ​SA. 

It will aslo provide​ ​contingency​ ​power​ ​for​ ​the​ ​Dalrymple​ ​service​ ​area​ ​during​ ​a​ ​loss​ ​of​ ​supply.​ ​​The islanded​ ​battery​ ​will​ ​work​ ​together​ ​with​ ​the​ ​existing​ ​90MW​ ​Wattle​ ​Point​ ​wind​ ​farm​ ​and rooftop​ ​solar​ ​PV​ ​in​ ​a​ ​microgrid​ ​to​ ​provide​ ​backup​ ​local​ ​supply​ ​until​ ​connection​ ​to​ ​the​ ​grid is​ ​restored.

Mr​ ​Frischknecht​ ​said​:

"The​ ​ESCRI​ ​battery​ ​will​ ​make​ ​an​ ​important​ ​contribution​ ​to​ ​security​ ​and reliability​ ​of​ ​supply​ ​in​ ​the​ ​context​ ​of​ ​high​ ​renewable​ ​energy​ ​generation​ ​in​ ​South​ ​Australia.

This​ ​is​ ​also​ ​the​ ​first​ ​large-scale​ ​grid-connected​ ​battery​ ​to​ ​be​ ​designed,​ ​built​ ​and commercially​ ​operated​ ​in​ ​Australia​ ​largely​ ​with​ ​private​ ​investment​ ​from​ ​energy​ ​providers.”

“It​ ​may​ ​not​ ​be​ ​the​ ​biggest​ ​battery​ ​in​ ​the​ ​world,​ ​but​ ​pound-for-pound​ ​it​ ​will​ ​pack​ ​a​ ​big punch​ ​in​ ​demonstrating​ ​how​ ​utility​ ​scale​ ​storage​ ​can​ ​contribute​ ​to​ ​a​ ​stronger​ ​South Australian​ ​energy​ ​network.”