Three large-scale battery storage projects and one virtual power plant were the winners of a recent competitive tender held on behalf of the government of New South Wales (NSW), Australia.

Proposed new ancillary service market rules could adversely impact business case for battery storage, Cornwall Insight Australia says.

A tender will open in a few days’ time under NSW’s electricity system roadmap through which 550MW of long-duration storage could be procured.

Australia has an “urgent need” for long-duration energy storage, along with new generation resources and transmission infrastructure.

Australian energy ministers’ agreement to tender for renewable energy and energy storage is a “major breakthrough in federal policy”.

New South Wales is tendering for firming resources that can dispatch energy to the grid for two hours or more.

Virtual power plant in Western Australia will demonstrate how distributed energy resources can help stabilise the electricity grid.

New large-scale battery storage in Australia will increase competition and put downward pressure on costs of ancillary services.

Hornsdale Power Reserve battery storage system in South Australia now has upgraded capabilities, enabling it to provide inertia to the grid.