Spanish energy giant Iberdrola says it has completed a new battery storage project in the western suburbs of Sydney, just as it lands another state government contract to build a much bigger facility in the state’s north.
Iberdrola says the 65 megawatt (MW), 140 megawatt hour (MWh) Smithfield battery has been officially inaugurated, its second big battery project following the Lake Bonney facility next to its wind farm of the same name in South Australia.
The company also contracts the Wallgrove battery, also in western Sydney, from Transgrid, and is currently building and developing a number of other big battery projects, including the Broadsound battery in Queensland that has begun construction.
Last week, Iberdrola’s Kingswood project was one of six projects that were declared winners of the state government’s latest long duration storage tender.
See: NSW awards contracts to six huge 8-hour battery projects, including the biggest in Australia
The Kingswood battery, located near Tamworth, will be sized at 100 MW and more than 1080 MWh, making it one of the longest duration batteries in the country.
It has still, however, to work through state planning approvals and it has been referred to the Independent Planning Commission as it is one of three big battery projects proposed around a sub-station around 7kms south of the city.
Iberdrola says both battery projects will strengthen the integration of renewables, increase grid flexibility, improve availability and efficiency of supply, and “contribute, in general, to a more self-sufficient, secure, competitive and sustainable energy system.”
It says the Kingswood project will be able to supply energy for at least eight consecutive hours and supply some 65,000 homes at peak demand times.
Iberdrola says it has more than 2,000 MW of generation capacity in operation or under construction, and supplies clean energy to approximately 400 commercial and industrial customers. It plans to invest more than €1 million in Australia between 2025 and 2028.
See Renew Economy’s Big Battery Storage Map of Australia for more information.
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