Renewable energy solutions company Pacific Green has unveiled its plans for the proposed largest grid-scale battery energy park on the Limestone Coast, South Australia.
The proposed Limestone Coast Energy Park, located near the 275 kVA South East Substation, will house a 0.5 GW / 1.5 GWh battery capable of storing nearly 60% of South Australia’s residential solar output for up to 4 hours, enhancing grid stability and lowering energy costs for South Australian customers.
The Limestone Coast Energy Park will charge and discharge excess renewable energy to and from Victoria as the South East Substation feeds into the Heywood Interconnector between South Australia and Victoria.
The proposed Energy Park will play an essential role in hastening the State’s transition to net-zero energy. Once operational, it will save an estimated 80,000 tonnes of CO2 per year by supplying renewable energy to the grid during evening peak times and overnight.
“We are excited to grow our portfolio into South Australia, which already has the highest adoption of renewable generation of all states in Australia. Our Limestone Coast Battery Energy Park can act as a load during the day, increasing the viability of even more solar and wind generation, whilst shifting energy to the times it is most valuable in the evening peak. This momentum allows us to accelerate progress towards South Australia achieving 100% net renewables by 2030,” Pacific Green Managing Director Joel Alexander said.
The South Australian Government is now reviewing a Development Application for the Limestone Coast Energy Park, with construction set to begin in 2024. The project is Pacific Green’s first of several potential battery projects. Using its extensive experience in constructing storage capacity in the UK, the company hopes to help accelerate Australia’s transition to renewables by constructing a multi-gigatonne platform that will be deployed across the country. Pacific Green’s second development is in Portland, Victoria, with project rights already obtained and construction set to begin in the first quarter of 2024.
