Korea giant unveils plans for a third big battery in congested south-west NSW grid

The South Korean industrial giant Samsung has unveiled plans for yet another big battery – its third – to be built in the increasingly congested south-west region of NSW.

The new plans are for the 80 MW, 320 MWh South Coree battery, located just 1km from the existing 175 megawatt (MW) Finley solar farm which is now owned by the UK-based OX2.

It follows news in February that Samsung is also looking to build the 250 MW Samsung Romani solar farm, accompanied by a 150 MW, 600 MWh battery near Hay, with a separate standalone 200 MW/800 MWh battery at the same location.

Both projects are proposed by Samsung’s renewable energy and storage offshoot Samsung C&T Renewable Energy Australia.

The South Coree battery is not located within the south-west renewable energy zone, to be serviced by the new transmission link from South Australia to NSW, Project EnergyConnect, and is looking to connect and gain grid access on existing local infrastructure, in this case a 66kV line.

However, Samsung says in its application for EPBC approval that its project is also located close to at least two other battery storage projects, the proposed Finley battery which is right next door, and also close to the Finley substation that connects the solar farm, and Syncline Energy’s proposed 400 MW, 1,600 MWh Berrigan battery a little further west.

Also in the area are AGL and Someva Renewables’ Pottinger Energy Hub, which will feature a battery up to 500 MW and 2,000 MWh, along with large wind and solar facilities, and Engie’s The Plains, featuring a battery up to 400 MW and 1600 MWh, along with a gigawatt scale wind farm.

Both of these projects are thought to be on the short list for access rights to the south west REZ. Samsung says its project is 39.5 km away from the proposed boundary of the south-west REZ.

Samsung is relatively new to the Australian renewable energy landscape, entering the market in 2022. It says it has been working on four solar farm and battery projects in Queensland, and at least five in NSW, and has a total pipeline of 1.5 GW of projects. Its website does not list the South Coree project.