Transgrid has contracted Riverina and Darlington Point BESS (battery energy storage systems) to provide up to 120MW of additional capacity to a constrained section of the network, all without building new transmission infrastructure.
The Riverina and Darlington Point BESS facilities are providing voltage support services to Transgrid, allowing additional renewable energy to be delivered to customers in time for the warmer months when solar generation ramps up as the days get longer.
The services provided by the combined 150MW/300MWh lithium-ion battery, owned by Federation Asset Management and Edify Energy, will also provide flexibility in the planning of future network augmentations including the South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and nation-critical VNI West project.
Transgrid Executive General Manager of Network, Marie Jordan, said the utility is embracing innovation to continually improve how it manages the network and to drive efficiency in delivering access to cleaner and cheaper renewable energy to local families and businesses.
“Transgrid is going beyond the traditional poles and wires approach and seeking innovative, faster and lower-cost alternatives to increase system stability and reliability and keep energy prices as low as possible for consumers,” Ms Jordan said.
“South-west New South Wales has seen significant growth in renewable generation connections to the transmission network and this trend, which is forecast to continue, is having an impact on how this part of the power system operates.
“Transgrid’s contracts with the Riverina and Darlington Point BESS facilities unlock extra capacity on the existing transmission network and deliver additional renewable energy to local households and businesses without the need to build a new transmission line between Wagga Wagga and Darlington point.
Ms Jordan said the contracted non-network solution is Transgrid’s first to come into service, with more to follow in other parts of New South Wales.
“These non-network solutions and technologies allow consumers to benefit from existing transmission infrastructure, avoiding the cost of building new towers and lines.”
Federation Asset Management co-founder and Head of Renewable Energy, Stephen Panizza, said that the need for energy storage is becoming more pressing as the nation’s ageing coal plants retire.
“Advanced grid-forming batteries like the Riverina BESS are critical to extracting the maximum capacity from our existing grid infrastructure, allowing timely integration of additional wind and solar generation into the National Electricity Market while our grid infrastructure is upgraded.”
