Infigen Energy has announced its investment in a 25MW / 52MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in South Australia, using Tesla Powerpack technology.
Construction activities are expected to commence in the coming weeks following the satisfaction of customary precedent under the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract.
Infigen has also entered into funding agreements with the South Australian (SA) Government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to co-fund the $38 million development. The SA Government and ARENA have each committed $5 million in funding.
The BESS will be located adjacent to the 278.5 MW Lake Bonney Wind Farm and will be connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via the Mayurra substation owned by ElectraNet.
The BESS enables Infigen to firm at least an additional 18MW of energy depending on the customer load profile.
The operational benefits of the BESS are:
Firming Infigen’s SA portfolio: access to energy storage allows Infigen to enter into additional energy supply contracts with commercial and industrial customers.
System security in the NEM: the BESS can supply ancillary services ensuring increased security and quality of supply and fast response services as required.
Policy considerations: adding battery energy storage capability to the SA market is consistent with the objectives of energy policy, including the proposed National Energy Guarantee.
“The Marshall Government are strong supporters of increasing battery storage to harness the full potential of South Australia’s abundant renewable energy and the lower prices that will be delivered to households and businesses,” said van Holst Pellekaan.
Ross Rolfe, chief executive officer of Infigen, said, “Infigen’s strategy is to supply clean energy to our customers and participate in growth opportunities in the NEM. Our investment in the BESS demonstrates our continued solid progress in delivering on our strategy. We are delighted to be able to work with global technology leader Tesla, ARENA and the South Australian Government to contribute to improved energy security and reliability of supply for South Australian energy consumers.”