Alinta’s Big Battery Plans of 100 MW/200 MWh for Australia in the Offing

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Australian electricity generating and gas retailing private firm Alinta Energy, owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, is making progress towards the development of a 100 MW/200 MWh big battery in southwest Western Australia. The firm has stated that the project will facilitate renewable energy generation in the state while lending support to the main grid, called the South-West Interconnected System (SWIS). This will also enable the quality as well as continuity of power supply.

The 100 MW two-hour BESS (Battery Energy Storage System) will be co-located with Alinta Energy’s 380 MW gas and diesel-fired power plant at Wagerup.

“With the continued introduction of intermittent energy sources into the SWIS, such as domestic and utility scale solar, the need for fast-start, balancing capacity becomes more important,” the Chinese-owned company informed, while adding, “The ability of large batteries to respond instantly to fluctuations on the grid is critical to the development and operation of increased renewable energy in the state.”

The project is slated for commissioning in the second half of 2024.

“We’re excited about the contribution the Wagerup battery will make to stabilising the southwest WA grid, and providing back-up capacity when needed,” Chief Development Officer, Ken Woolley, Alinta Energy said.

The cost of the project is pegged at $100 million and Shanghai Electric Power Design Institute (SEPD) and Australian solar and battery installer Sunterra will be responsible for delivering the battery.

Australia is going big on BESS announcements. A major BESS project coming up here is the Big Canberra Battery project, which is a large-scale storage facility in Williamsdale. Eku Energy will be responsible for building and operation of the project. The BESS project, pegged at a cost of up to $400 million, is slated for construction in 2024. It will achieve completion the following year.  Australia. American investment conglomerate BlackRock said in 2022 that it was looking to invest $1 billion in big energy battery projects in Australia. The company agreed to acquire Australian company Akaysha Energy, which has nine projects attached to Australia’s main grid.