The Northern Territory (NT) Government announced that its $45 million big battery, Darwin-Katherine Battery Energy Storage System (DK BESS), has installed all batteries and begun pre-commissioning.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles stated that renewable energy is both economically and environmentally sound.
“The Territory Labor Government is investing in DK BESS as an important step towards achieving 50 per cent renewable power by 2030 and net zero emissions by 2050,” Chief Minister Fyles said.
According to Chief Minister Fyles, the State Government is committed to ensuring Territorians have access to cheap electricity and pushing the transition to renewable energy.
The 35MVA battery will replace some gas-fired power at the Channel Island Power Station and enhance the Darwin-Katherine system to accommodate solar. It will cut the Territory carbon emissions by 58,000 tonnes annually.
The Darwin-Katherine Electricity System Plan includes the DK BESS, which is expected to save $9.8 million per year and pay for itself in around five years following the grid connection.
All 192 batteries, each weighing 3.5 tonnes, are currently deployed at the DK BESS facility on Channel Island. A temporary power supply has been put up for pre-commissioning testing on the eight DK BESS Hitachi Energy modules, each of which consists of a bank of batteries, a set of inverters, and a step-up transformer. The battery modules will be charged and discharged using the temporary power source in conjunction with an AC/DC power converter before being connected to the 11kV switch room.
“We congratulate Territory Generation and Hitachi Energy upon the successful installation of all batteries and progression to pre-commissioning stage,” Minister for Renewables and Energy Selena Uibo said.
Minister Uibo stated that this battery energy storage system will add around 35MW to the Darwin system, allowing us to minimise the number of gas turbines rotating and the number of fossil fuels burned.
“When operating the big battery is expected to support system security for about 150,000 homes between Darwin and Katherine and it will provide Territorians with greater system reliability and cleaner, green energy,” the Minister added.
The big battery’s network-connected commissioning is set to begin in late 2023, and it is projected to be fully commissioned and operational in the fiscal year 2023-24.
“The successful installation of all batteries and progression to pre-commissioning is a significant step forward for the DK BESS,” Territory Generation CEO Gerhard Laubscher said.
Once commissioned, Laubscher said it will continually moderate solar effects and assist with the solar integration Darwin-Katherine grid
“This is a significant milestone in the development of the advanced Hitachi Energy battery energy storage solution that will ensure full utilisation of solar energy generation and less reliance on fossil fuels across the Darwin-Katherine network,” Hitachi Energy Country Managing Director Bernard Norton said.
Norton added, “Through this partnership approach with Territory Generation, Hitachi Energy is helping to solve the challenge of integrating intermittent renewable energy generation and accelerating the transition towards a carbon-neutral energy future for all.”
