The Victorian Government is calling for detailed proposals for large scale battery energy storage facilities in western Victoria.
The call comes following an exceptionally strong market response to an expressions of interest process run in February and March 2017.
Earlier in 2017 the Labor Government announced $25 million to support large-scale energy storage, to enhance the reliability of our grid and unlock economic growth in areas experiencing network constraints.
“We’re supporting projects that will integrate existing and new renewable energy generation, storage, distribution and management technologies within the electricity grid,” Acting Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lisa Neville said.
Detailed proposals are being sought to provide two 20MW batteries to be fully deployed by January 2018, providing storage capacity of at least 100MWh.
“Large scale energy battery storage will improve the reliability of Victoria’s energy grid and enhance energy security,” Ms Neville said.
For example, a 20MW battery could power a town the size of Bendigo or Ballarat for up to four hours during a peak demand period and avoid outages.
Applicants will be also encouraged to seek funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) in parallel to the Victorian initiative, to drive even further investment in new energy technology and energy system reliability in Victoria.
“We are encouraging significant local and international investment opportunities for businesses to work together in modernising our energy system,” Ms Neville said.
