Big Bungama battery edges closer to joining the mix on Australia’s most advanced renewable grid

The first stage of an up to 250 megawatt, two-our big battery that is under construction in South Australia has secured an electricity generation licence, ahead of powering up in 2026.

The Essential Services Commission of South Australia (ESCOSA) announced late last week that it had approved the licence for the 150 megawatt (MW) Bungama battery energy storage system (BESS), north of Adelaide.

The licence is for the first stage of the multi-stage Bungama BESS project which began construction late last year and is expected to grow to an already-approved 250 MW/500 megawatt-hours (MWh).

The Bungama BESS, which is located approximately 220 kilometres north of Adelaide, was originally designed to be part of the Renewable Energy Hub of South Australia, which will include a total of 640 MW of battery storage and 1.4GW of solar farms across Bungama, Roberstown, and Whyalla.

The current project information, however, suggests that the Bungama BESS could be paired with “a proposed solar energy facility”.

Originally developed and entered into construction under the auspices of Canadian renewables developer Amp Energy, which is backed by the deep-pocketed Carlyle Group, the project was subsequently included in the formation of Revera Energy, an independent energy infrastructure solutions platform backed by Carlyle Global Infrastructure.

Revera Energy was launched in May and came into being with Amp Energy’s Australian and British portfolio of projects, including the Bungama BESS.

The Bungama BESS is expected to complete construction and enter into operation next year.