State government investment in major battery projects across NSW is to be increased and fast-tracked, Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said on Wednesday.
A ministerial media release announced $8.4 million in new funds for Transgrid and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) to hire more engineers.
The government says this will allow for fast-tracked grid connections for four battery projects of more than 100 megawatts (MW) each, the combined equivalent of 15 per cent of last summer’s peak demand across the state.
That’s enough power for 800,000 households in peak demand, the government says.
The move comes in response to recent AEMO forecasts of increased power reliability risks in NSW from 2024 to 2028, owing mostly to retiring coal plants and ‘not enough renewables coming online to fill the gap’.
Projects which could benefit from Wednesday’s announced grants include:
- Waratah Super Battery (850 MW, 2-hour storage duration);
- Liddell Battery Energy Storage System (500 MW, 2-hour storage duration);
- Orana Battery Energy Storage System (415 MW, 4-hour storage duration); and
- Richmond Valley Battery Energy Storage System (275 MW, 8-hour storage duration).
The government says the investment will bring forward completion dates of the priority battery projects by as much as 12 months.
New state power grid connection squad
Transgrid is to invest $3.2 million in hiring more technical staff on grid connections, including setting up two dedicated ‘squads’ of engineers, technicians and customer support staff.
AEMO is to invest $5.2 million in more staff to project manage the grid connection process, with the aim of having all the supported battery projects up and running by 2025-2026.
Ms Sharpe says the batteries will ensure consumers in NSW have access to affordable and reliable electricity sooner.
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