Australian CIS boosts energy storage with six large-scale battery projects
The Australian Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) is set to enhance energy storage capabilities in Victoria and South Australia through support for six new large-scale battery projects. These initiatives will add 3.6 gigawatt hours (GWh) of capacity.
In Victoria, EnergyAustralia will manage the 350 MW Wooreen lithium-ion battery system at the Jeeralang power station site, and Project Power will develop the 115 MW Springvale Energy Hub on a former landfill site in Melbourne. South Australia will see Pacific Green Energy’s 250 MW Limestone Coast West battery near Mount Gambier, Zen Energy’s 170 MW Solar River battery north of Adelaide, Pacific Blue’s 60 MW battery at the Clements Gap wind farm, and EnergyAustralia’s 50 MW Hallett battery in Canownie.
Together, these projects will deliver 1,630 MWh of capacity to Victoria and 1,996 MWh to South Australia, providing enough dispatchable energy to meet peak electricity demand for up to one million homes. Operations are expected to commence by mid-2027, subject to final agreements under the CIS.
The CIS encourages investment in renewable energy storage and generation to meet growing electricity demand as coal power stations are phased out. Two more CIS tenders are expected, with the next one opening in late 2024.
This announcement follows the Australian Senate’s approval of the Net Zero Economy Authority (NZEA) Bill in August 2024, which aims to further support the country’s transition to renewable energy.