Australian energy major AGL Energy has confirmed that two transformers for the 1,000MWh Liddell battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales have been delivered.
The 500MW/1,000MWh 2-hour duration Liddell BESS is being built at the site of the former Liddell Power Station, a former 2,000MW coal-fired power station in the Hunter Valley region of New South Wales. It was decommissioned in April 2023 after 52 years of operation as part of a broader shift towards renewable energy.
The 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 will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM), which spans Australia’s southern and eastern states, as well as Tasmania.
Previous coverage by Energy-Storage.news revealed that the BESS would be a part of the 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.
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These will be powered by several renewable energy developments, most notably the Liddell BESS and the 400MW/3,200MWh Muswellbrook pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) site.
AGL Energy previously confirmed that the total construction cost of the Liddell BESS is estimated to be approximately AU$750 million (US$489 million). Fluence, a battery storage system integrator, clean energy software company, and services company, was chosen as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor.
Fluence was recently selected by AGL to provide a 2,000MWh grid-forming battery storage system, which was the company’s biggest deal globally to date.
Johan Myburgh, general manager of construction at AGL Energy, said on LinkedIn that construction of the BESS project is “progressing well,” and it is anticipated to be completed in early 2026.
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 AusEnergy Services (formerly AEMO Services) on behalf of the New South Wales government.
AGL aims to add 12GW of renewables and firming to its portfolio by 2035.
Pacific Green inks ‘first-of-its-kind 2GWh BESS offtake agreement in Australia
In other news, just days after signing a 10-year tolling agreement for 1.5GWh of BESS capacity, Pacific Green Technologies has inked a seven-to-10-year capacity revenue swap deal with Re2 Capital for 2GWh of BESS.
The deal will draw on energy from four battery storage projects located in South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland.
In a statement, Pacific Green Technologies claimed the “industry-first” agreement marks a significant milestone in the organisation’s bid to deliver 7GWh of renewables and energy storage to the Australian market.
“Combined, these strategic framework agreements with Re2 and ZEN Energy enable Pacific Green to guarantee revenue underwriting 3.5GWh of battery projects in Australia and signify a major milestone for Pacific Green’s development business,” Scott Poulter, Group CEO of Pacific Green, said.
