Australian energy major AGL has seen its 1,000MWh Liddell battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales (NSW) enter AEMO’s Market Management System.
The 500MW/1,000MWh grid-scale battery system registered with AEMO on 30 September and is now ready for commissioning and testing phases. AEMO’s Market Management System is the core IT system that manages the National Electricity Market (NEM) wholesale market.
AGL’s lithium-ion BESS is located on the shores of Lake Liddell, roughly 220km north of the state capital, Sydney, and 120km west of Newcastle. It is located at the site of the former Liddell Power Station, a decommissioned 2,000MW coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley region of NSW.
AGL Energy previously confirmed that the total construction cost of the Liddell BESS is estimated to be approximately AU$750 million (US$489 million).
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The Liddell BESS has been aided in its development via an AU$35 million grant awarded by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) as part of its Advancing Renewables Program and a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA), arranged by ASL (formerly AEMO Services) on behalf of the NSW government.
US-headquartered battery storage system integrator, clean energy software company, and services company Fluence was chosen as engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
As reported by Energy-Storage.news earlier this year, the transformers for the BESS project arrived at the Liddell site in early August.
The project forms part of AGL’s broader energy transition strategy as it phases out coal-fired generation across its portfolio. The Liddell Power Station ceased operations in April 2023 after 50 years of service, with the site now being transformed into a renewable energy hub.
Indeed, the BESS will form one part of the wider Hunter Energy Hub. The hub will span 10,000 hectares and is expected to include a solar module manufacturing facility, in partnership with Australian PV cell technology startup SunDrive Solar, and a battery and solar module recycling facility.
The Liddell BESS joins a growing fleet of large-scale battery projects across Australia. These include projects such as AGL’s 2,000MWh Tomago grid-forming BESS project, which marked Fluence’s largest deal globally and the country’s first 8-hour long-duration energy storage system.
It is worth noting that AGL aims to add 12GW of renewables and firming to its portfolio by 2035.
UGL to build 6-Hour Muchea BESS for Neoen and Tesla in Western Australia
Elsewhere in Australia, CIMIC Group-owned engineering and services company UGL has secured a contract to construct the 164MW/905MWh 6-hour duration Muchea BESS for Neoen and Tesla in Western Australia.
Construction on the BESS is scheduled to commence later this month and is expected to be completed by 2027. The project builds on UGL’s established partnership with Neoen and Tesla, which has previously delivered multiple BESS across the country, including the 270MW/540MWh Western Downs stage one battery.
252 Tesla Megapack 2XL units will be installed at the Muchea Battery, which is consistent with previous UGL-constructed projects for Neoen. The Megapack is based on Tesla’s integrated solution, which includes lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, power conversion system (PCS), thermal management and controls.
Tesla’s Megapack systems have been deployed across multiple Australian battery energy storage facilities, such as the 300MW/1,200MWh BESS at the Stanwell Power Station in central Queensland.
UGL managing director Doug Moss said: “UGL is pleased to add this significant project to our expanding portfolio of energy infrastructure across Australia. Muchea Battery will be our ninth battery installation project and our sixth one for Neoen and in partnership with Tesla.
“We’re supporting the energy transition through high-voltage transmission upgrades, regional electricity fortification, and the delivery of firming assets that strengthen the grid.”
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