A 30mW/8mWh grid-scale battery at the Dalrymple substation on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula is now live and expected to encourage electric vehicle (EV) uptake in the state.
Its official opening has been announced by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (Arena) which provided $12 million in funding on behalf of the Australian Government towards the $30m Energy Storage for Commercial Renewable Integration (ESCRI) project.
The big battery is connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM), making important contributions to energy security and reliability in South Australia, Arena says.
Transmission provider ElectraNet owns the ESCRI battery, connected to its neighbouring Dalrymple substation.
AGL Energy will operate the battery under a long-term lease agreement.
ESCRI will complement South Australia’s other batteries and reinforce Australia’s role as a leader in large-scale battery technology, Arena acting chief executive officer Nicola Morris says.
“We’re excited to see that the completion of the ESCRI battery has already helped inform the development of further battery projects around Australia,” she says.
“The ESCRI battery will provide storage to support renewable generation and will provide fast frequency response to stabilise the grid.
“The battery will also work with the 90mW Wattle Point Wind Farm, and local rooftop solar, to provide contingency power to the households and businesses on the Yorke Peninsula if a power outage occurs.
“It is clear that grid scale energy storage has a role to play our future energy mix. ESCRI demonstrates that utility scale batteries can deliver a range of market services and back-up power when it is needed.”
Arena has funded four grid-scale batteries, including two batteries recently commissioned in Western Victoria and Infigen’s Lake Bonney battery under construction in South Australia.
ElectraNet chief executive Steve Masters says the new battery is the first large-scale battery in the NEM to provide both regulated network services and competitive market services to maximise value from its operation.
“On average, it can provide backup power to 4500 customers in the Dalrymple service area for two to three hours while connection to the grid is being restored.”
Visit escri-sa.com.au for more information.
