Canberra Batteries – The ACT’s First Big Battery

The ACT’s first big battery will be developed, built and operated by Eku Energy. It beat more than 40 bidders to win the contract through a competitive tender process.

Two and a quarter years of testing isn’t long, but it gives a good indication of how well batteries will perform long term. The Battery Test Centre is now free to publicly report its results.

ACT’s first grid-scale battery

The Big Canberra Battery is a key component of the ACT’s plan to be fully powered by renewable electricity by 2045. It will future proof the territory’s energy supply by reducing the load on the electricity network and supporting more families to put solar on their roofs. It consists of 250MW of grid connected battery storage in Stream 1, battery storage at 14 government sites to reduce power used by those sites in Stream 2, and a network of neighbourhood batteries in Stream 3.

Developed and owned by GPG, the project will store renewable energy and provide back up services during network outages and peak demand periods. It can deliver up to two hours of electricity in milliseconds and can fill the gap between wind and solar generation.

The ACT’s largest battery will cost between $300 and $400 million and will be developed, built, and operated by Eku Energy, who won the contract through a tender process. The project is expected to be completed in late 2024.

ACT’s first neighbourhood battery

The ACT’s first neighbourhood battery will store cheap excess solar energy during the day and then redistribute it to households during peak demand, lowering household energy bills. It is the latest step in an ACT Government plan to electrify Canberra using renewable electricity.

Earlier this year, the ACT Government launched a $100 million project to support the development of an electricity storage ecosystem. This will include small batteries at schools and hospitals, neighbourhood-scale batteries such as the one earmarked for the new all-electric Gungahlin suburb of Jacka and large grid-connected batteries.

The Big Canberra Battery, slated for completion in 2024, will deliver 250MW of grid-connected batteries, with procurement processes opening to industry this August. The project is delivered in three streams – stream one will involve the delivery of a battery at the network level, while stream two will seek to deploy a small number of batteries at 14 government sites to reduce power use and the strain on the distribution network, and stream three will deliver a yet-to-be-specified number of neighbourhood batteries.

ACT’s first grid-connected battery

A battery of this kind will allow the ACT to respond within milliseconds to extreme weather events, helping keep the network working at steady parameters. The grid needs to be stable in order for the transmission lines, cables and devices to work properly – and if they are not, that could lead to blackouts and other damage.

The ACT government is also rolling out an ecosystem of batteries, with a 250 MW grid-connected Big Canberra Battery planned for Williamsdale, plus 14 smaller community and government batteries and dozens of neighbourhood batteries. The ACT has begun a market-sounding process for the Big Canberra Battery, seeking practical information on how to build it.

Neoen’s battery will be connected to the ACT electricity network next year, but it took longer than expected due to delays in compliance testing. It will help reduce the load on the ACT’s electricity networks and encourage more households to install rooftop solar PV.

ACT’s first commercial battery

A 250 MW grid-scale battery has commenced commercial operations in Canberra. The facility, called the Big Canberra Battery, is owned by Macquarie Group’s new global battery business Eku Energy. It can store enough renewable power to power one-third of the ACT’s homes for two hours during peak demand periods. The ACT Government will provide risk capital to the project through a revenue sharing arrangement.

The ACT’s first big battery will work alongside Neoen’s 100 MW battery in the Gungahlin suburb of Jacka and the GPG/Naturgy-owned Capital Battery located in Beard. It will increase network reliability by reducing pressure and congestion on the network, better integrate the growing supply of renewables into the ACT grid, and help to reduce electricity price spikes and generation outages.

The ACT government has recently launched an expression of interest process to attract experienced providers who want to tender for large grid-connected batteries. The EOI will focus on battery systems that are 10 MW or greater in size and will connect to the ACT’s distribution network. KWM will be advising on the EOI and subsequent requests for proposals.



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