The first utility-scale battery energy storage system in the Australian state of Victoria has entered the final phase of testing in preparation to start relieving pressure on the regional grid ahead of summer.
The 30-megawatt-hour lithium-ion BESS, funded by the Victorian government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena), was inaugurated in Ballarat by state energy minister Lily D’Ambrosio (pictured centre).
The AUD 33 million (US$23.4m) Ballarat system, supplied by Siemens affiliate Fluence, is capable of powering more than 20,000 homes for an hour of critical peak demand before being recharged.
The BESS is also able to “respond to changing grid needs within milliseconds”, Fluence said. “It will operate 24/7 to support critical peak demand, improving grid stability of the state’s energy supply.”
Downer Spotless completed construction of the BESS, which is owned by AusNet Services and will be operated by EnergyAustralia and support the use of renewable power generation such as solar and wind.
