ACEN Australia has started construction of its 50megawatt (MW) battery energy storage system (BESS), which will complement its 720MW solar farm which will be completed in 2023.
The 50 MW one-hour battery, which will be connected to its New England Solar Farm in Uralla, New South Wales, is critical in addressing the intermittency of renewable energy.
Combined with the solar farm, the BESS will be one of Australia’s largest co- located solar and battery energy storage facilities, helping to support a more stable electricity network. The BESS will improve system strength and grid reliability, allowing more low-cost renewable energy to connect to the grid, lowering prices for New South Wales consumers.
The construction of the BESS was announced by Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall and ACEN CEO Eric Francia.
Marshall said the 50MW/one hour BESS is supported by an AU$12.5-million state government grant, and will be built alongside the 720 MW New England Solar Farm currently in construction east of Uralla.
“The construction of the BESS is a landmark project for the New England Renewable Energy Zone and also the New South Wales economy,” Marshall said.
In March, ACEN increased its ownership in UPC\AC Renewables to 80 percent, with the intent to be at 100 percent ownership by early 2023. With this acquisition, UPC\AC Renewables has rebranded to ACEN Australia.
Francia, who is also the CEO and President of ACEN, said ACEN has been a partner of UPC Renewables since 2018. “We are immensely proud of the work already achieved on the New England Solar project by the team. The company is pleased to be expanding its renewable energy portfolio and contributing to Australia’s transition to a clean energy future.”
“While the UPC\AC Renewables name and brand is changing to ACEN Australia, our highly capable Australian team will remain in place, and our approach to building long term relationships built on trust with our host communities, and other stakeholders remains the same.”
Anton Rohner, CEO of ACEN Australia, said that aside from supporting grid reliability, the battery will also allow for generation-shifting, so that energy can be stored and then discharged into grid when it is most needed.
“The New England battery can also be scaled up to 200 MW with two hours of storage capacity in response to the needs of consumers and the grid.”
Construction of the first 400MWac / 520MWdc stage of the New England Solar project is due to be completed in 2023 and is being built across two solar fields about six kilometers east of Uralla. Once the entire 720 MW project is complete, it will produce around 1,800,000 megawatt hours of clean electricity each year—enough to power about 250,000 New South Wales homes.