Shell and Edify Strike 100 MW Big Battery Storage Deal with NSW Govt

UK-based Shell Energy and Australia-headquartered Edify Energy have released a joint statement today, stating that the two companies have signed a long-term services agreement to deliver a two-hour battery storage facility of 100 MW capacity in South West NSW, Australia.

In renewable energy news coming from the nation, it was recently revealed that Australia installed its highest ever number of rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV) panels in 2020, as per the Clean Energy Regulator data analysed by energy efficiency experts from Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO.

Located in the Murrumbidgee Shire, the Riverina Energy Storage System (RESS) being built by Shell and Edify is to be a 100MW / 200MWh lithium-ion battery that will connect into TransGrid’s network at the Darlington Point Substation. RESS will serve to add more flexible dispatchable capacity to the NSW market and will complement the significant presence of renewable generation in the region.

Building on Edify’s success in developing, contracting and financing the Gannawarra Energy Storage System, RESS is being developed to meet the requirements of Shell Energy and the NSW Government, with Shell Energy signing a long-term services agreement to access operational rights to a 60MW / 120MWh partition of the battery. This agreement is a key component of Shell Energy’s success in securing a long-term retail contract with the NSW Government as part of its Whole of Government process.

Edify Chief Executive, John Cole, said, “We are proud to be leading the advancement of batteries to shore up the renewable energy market and to increase the availability of clean, green, low-cost, dispatchable electricity. We are pleased to have reached this milestone with Shell Energy and the NSW Government and look forward to continuing to work with them as we deliver RESS into commercial operation.”

Critical to achieving Australia’s carbon emission reduction targets is the ability to rapidly increase the supply of renewable and secure energy available to government, businesses and consumers. The delivery of this project highlights Edify’s capabilities to work with government and industry to provide innovative solutions to our complex energy challenges.

Shell Energy CEO Greg Joiner also commented on the project by saying, “This long-term services agreement is a model for how large energy users can access dispatchable power like battery storage, which complements renewables, while contributing to a cleaner and more resilient power system. Shell Energy was pleased to select Edify as its battery energy storage partner in this collaborative approach to meeting the NSW Government’s need for an innovative power solution.”