PV module manufacturer Trina Solar has lodged a planning application for a 500MW/1,000MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Victoria, Australia.
The 2-hour BESS is being proposed for the Kiewa Valley in the Murray-Darling basin, to the east of Melbourne’s state capital. It is located within the Ovens Murray Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and bolsters the state’s efforts to decarbonise by increasing the amount of available energy storage capacity on the National Electricity Market (NEM).
According to a LinkedIn post by Trina Solar, the company hopes the BESS will help strengthen the grid during peak demand and emergencies. As reported by Energy-Storage.news yesterday, the 1,680MWh Waratah Super Battery, once described as a ‘giant shock absorber’ for the grid, was called upon to stabilise the grid amid blackout fears in New South Wales.
Australia’s Department of Transport and Planning will review Trina Solar’s BESS application and make a decision by early 2025.
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Jose Flores, Trina Solar Australia’s head of development, said the project is “well-advanced” in discussions with AEMO and AusNet regarding a connection to the grid.
“We are very excited about the ongoing progress and support for this project,” Flores added.
The community can review the application and provide feedback as part of the development process. Trina Solar said that the consultation period will begin shortly, giving residents and stakeholders a chance to voice their opinions and concerns.
Olivia He, a senior project development officer at Trina Solar said: “We are committed to ensuring that this project not only meets the highest standards of design and sustainability but also aligns with the needs and values of the local community.”
Trina Solar has proposed the creation of a Community Benefit Fund (CBF) to support the surrounding areas. This fund will provide an annual endowment and will be implemented in coordination with the Alpine Shire Council to address the specific needs and priorities of the local community.
Trina Solar’s expansion into energy storage
Although Trina Solar is predominantly in the solar PV market, it is also exploring several projects in Australia. For instance, the company wants to develop one of Australia’s largest BESS projects, a 660MW/2,640MWh battery in Wellesley, in the Shire of Harvey, Western Australia. Trina Solar submitted a planning application in September 2024.
If approved, the 4-hour duration Kemerton BESS, as it has been named, would be situated 15km southwest of the town of Harvey and 14km northeast of the town of Australind on undeveloped land within the Kemerton Strategic Industrial Area.
It is also worth noting that Trina Solar recently deployed its first energy storage project in Italy for its project development arm and its BESS system integrator subsidiary Trina Storage. The 9.3MWh BESS is situated in Torre di Pierri, Italy, in the province of Taranto, southeast Italy.
Trina Storage, which to date has predominantly worked on BESS projects in China and the UK, deployed its first US utility-scale BESS projects in Massachusetts earlier this year, for developer Lightshift Energy.
