A project has begun in Australia to demonstrate how a hybrid energy storage system (ESS) using lithium iron phosphate batteries paired with renewable energy can work at grid scale.
Technology group Wärtsilä and renewable energy firm Octopus Australia, a subsidiary of Octopus Group, are working together to deliver a 64MW/128MWh ESS paired with a 80MW AC solar farm.
The project’s groundbreaking ceremony was held on 9 April. Construction of the site is due to finish in 2027.
Wärtsilä is supplying its Quantum High Energy 1.6MWh ESS for Octopus Australia’s Fulham Solar Battery Hybrid project in the state of Victoria.
https://www.bestmag.co.uk/quantum-high-energy-new-energy-storage-system-from-wartsila/
The ESS uses 306Ah lithium iron phosphate cells, and will be combined with Wärtsilä’s GEMS Digital Energy Management Platform. The platform will manage the integration of the ESS and solar assets with the grid’s connection requirements.
The project is one of the first large-scale DC-coupled hybrid battery systems in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM). It aims to demonstrate the value of DC-coupled technology at scale.
The project gives additional grid-stability to the local area after the early retirement of the Yallourn coal-fired power station near the Fulham development.
The project will minimise solar and wind curtailment and enhance renewable energy efficiency, supporting Victoria’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2045.
Wärtsilä will provide a long-term service agreement to guarantee the project’s continued performance and reliability.
Image caption: Technology group Wärtsilä will supply a 64 MW / 128 MWh energy storage system for Octopus Australia’s Fulham Solar Battery Hybrid project. © Wärtsilä
