Boosting Renewable Energy with Large-Scale Battery Initiatives
The Australian government is supporting six new large-scale battery storage projects across Victoria and South Australia, adding over 3.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) of capacity.
These projects are part of the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), aimed at enhancing renewable energy capabilities and grid reliability.
In Victoria, EnergyAustralia will operate a 350MW lithium-ion battery system at the Wooreen site, while the Springvale Energy Hub will feature a 115MW system on a former landfill site in Melbourne.
South Australia will see several new batteries: a 250MW battery by Pacific Green Energy near Mount Gambier, a 170MW battery with a 230MW solar farm by Zen Energy north of Adelaide, and smaller batteries at Clements Gap and Hallett.

These batteries will add over 1,630MWh of capacity to Victoria and 1,996MWh to South Australia, providing dispatchable energy capable of meeting peak electricity demand for up to a million homes.
The projects are expected to be operational by mid-2027, supporting the transition to renewable energy as coal power stations are phased out.
The CIS aims to attract more investment in renewable energy, with additional tenders planned for 2024 to further expand energy storage and generation capacity.
Source power-technology