Flow Power has broken ground on its 100MW/223MWh Bennetts Creek battery energy storage system (BESS) in Victoria, marking construction start on the renewable energy generator and retailer’s first large-scale standalone battery project.
Bennetts Creek is located near Hazelwood North in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley, a region historically associated with coal mining and coal-fired power generation in the state.
Flow Power reached financial close on the project in December 2025, with financing provided by banks Westpac and SMBC Australia. The company did not disclose the terms of that financing, but said its majority shareholder, Canadian pension trust OPSEU Pension Plan Trust Fund (OPTrust), supported the transaction.
The project is expected to be completed in 2028.
Try Premium for just $1
- Full premium access for the first month at only $1
- Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
- Cancel anytime during the trial period
Premium Benefits
- Expert industry analysis and interviews
- Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
- Exclusive event discounts
Or get the full Premium subscription right away
Or continue reading this article for free
Flow Power began as a utility serving commercial and industrial customers before expanding into residential electricity retail.
The company owns a 100% renewable energy generation fleet of wind and solar assets and structures its retail offering around wholesale market exposure, including a residential feed-in tariff of AU$0.45/kWh (US$0.32/kWh) between 17:30 and 19:30, when solar generation tails off and evening demand peaks.
System integrator Wärtsilä Energy Storage will supply battery storage equipment and control systems for Bennetts Creek.
Flow Power has also engaged Zenviron, a joint venture between engineering group Monadelphous and renewable energy developer ZEM Energy, as balance-of-plant contractor for Bennetts Creek.
Zenviron previously delivered balance-of-plant works on the 100MW/200MWh Latrobe Valley BESS for developer Tilt Renewables, inaugurated by Victoria’s Minister for Climate Action, Energy and Resources, Lily D’Ambrosio.
Elsewhere in Victoria, the State Electricity Commission (SEC) is investing up to AU$43 million for a stake in the 400MW/1.86GWh Baranduda Electrical Energy Reserve near Wodonga, alongside superannuation fund Aware Super and developer Birdwood, securing 50% of that project’s output through a 15-year agreement.
The SEC has applied a similar minority-stake model to the 600MW/1.6GWh Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub, developed with Equis Australia.
Corporate offtakers have also moved into standalone battery storage in Victoria without relying on state involvement. Anza Power, backed by global infrastructure investor I Squared Capital, signed a tolling agreement with Amazon Australia for the 50MW/200MWh Bairnsdale BESS in East Gippsland. That was described as Amazon’s first standalone battery storage tolling deal in the Asia-Pacific region and the first agreement of its kind in Australia for a non-energy business contracting a standalone battery storage system directly.
Bennetts Creek differs from both models. Flow Power is financing and developing the project independently through bank debt and shareholder support, rather than through a state equity stake or via a corporate offtake agreement, adding a third financing pathway to the cluster of battery storage projects concentrated around the Latrobe Valley as the region’s coal-fired generation continues to retire.
Never miss an Australian energy storage story. Sign up for our Australia newsletter and get the latest project announcements, policy updates and market analysis delivered directly to you.
