ACT to Auction for 250 MW Renewable Plus Storage Projects

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT) will conduct a new reverse auction for the construction of up to 250 MW of new renewable energy and storage projects.

The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), has announced that it an attempt to ensure that the ACT remains 100 percent powered by renewable electricity, it will conduct a new reverse auction for the award of contract for the construction of up to 250 MW of new renewable energy generation. The ACT government is also planning to construct a large-scale battery in the region.

The ACT will conduct a renewable electricity ‘reverse auction’ to build new renewable electricity supply, ensure our growing city remains 100 percent renewable into the next decade, and construct a large-scale battery in the ACT, Minister for Climate Change and Sustainability Shane Rattenbury said.

The move follows the passing of legislation earlier this year to guarantee the ACT will maintain 100 percent renewable electricity into the future.

“We’ll soon reach 100 percent renewable electricity in the ACT, which is a great achievement. But our city will keep growing, and we’ll be transitioning buildings and vehicles to be all electric. This is expected to increase electricity consumption, so we’re contracting more renewable electricity generation to ensure we stay at 100 percent,” said Rattenbury.

Through this auction, the government has also announced that it will also require successful bidders to deliver large scale battery storage capability located in the ACT. The total battery storage required will be 20 megawatts and 40 megawatt hours.

“It will also support the ACT electricity grid, helping to manage fluctuations in grid voltage and frequency, remove the need to upgrade network infrastructure, store excess electricity from renewable electricity sources, and provide power to help avoid blackouts during periods of high demand and when large fossil fuel generators fail in heatwave conditions,” the official statement said. “The battery could power 25,000 typical houses for two hours.”

The ACT’s reverse auction scheme to reach 100 percent renewable electricity has already leveraged more than AUD 2 billion of investment into 10 large scale renewable energy projects around Australia, and more than  AUD 500 million in the ACT.