Renewable energy developer ACE Power has submitted a battery energy storage system (BESS) of up to 8,000MWh in New South Wales to the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
Named the Eastern Hub Firming Battery, the BESS is being proposed as a 1,000MW system with a duration of 4 to 8 hours.
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It will be located near Salisbury Plains, around 11km south-east of Uralla, a small rural town on the Northern Tablelands, around 465km north of Sydney, the state capital.
The BESS will also be located within the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), one of at least five being proposed for New South Wales. This REZ aims to deliver 8GW of additional network capacity, supporting renewable energy generation technologies such as solar PV and energy storage.
According to EnergyCo, the New England REZ is expected to attract more than AUS$24 billion (US$15.5 billion) in private investment by 2034, supporting over 6,000 construction jobs and 2,000 ongoing operational jobs.
The Eastern Hub Firming Battery will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via EnergyCo’s proposed East Hub substation. It has been designated as a State Significant Development (SSD) under the State Environmental Planning Policy 2021.
According to ACE Power, the BESS will be the first stage of the wider Hillview Energy Hub being developed. This development will comprise the BESS, a 250-300MW solar PV power plant and a 200-300MW wind development featuring 71 turbines.
Each project is being pursued as a separate entity that would be able to operate independently of the other projects that make up the wider hub.
The land on which the development will sit is primarily a cleared landscape, primarily used for livestock grazing and cropping.
ACE Power’s receives EPBC Act approval for 3.6GWh BESS
ACE Power is developing several renewable energy projects in New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, including BESS.
Earlier this year, the developer submitted plans for a 3.6GWh 4-hour duration BESS in Queensland to the EPBC Act. Called the Nebo BESS, the 900MW project, which will cover 97 hectares, will also include an extension to Powerlink’s Nebo substation. Two underground 275kV circuits will connect the project to this substation.
The project will be located near the rural town of Nebo in the Isaac region, around 956km north of the state capital, Brisbane. It will import electricity from the grid, which will then be stored and exported during peak demand.
Earlier this month, ACE Power saw the 3.6GWh Nebo BESS in Queensland waved through the EPBC Act.
The developer also recently secured approval for its 500MW, 4-hour duration Raglan BESS in the Isaac region of Queensland. It will enhance energy security in Central Queensland by improving reliability and decreasing reliance on fossil fuels.
ACE Power said the BESS will use lithium-ion technology. The components will be fully encased within a storage container, with the final dimensions and number of containerised batteries dependent on the provider’s choice.
