Victoria becomes first grid to reach a gigawatt of big battery charging – soaking up half of rooftop PV

Another energy transition milestone has been reached, this time in Victoria, where the state’s growing portfolio of big battery storage facilities has seen it become the first state to feature a combined charging rate of more than one gigawatt.

The milestone, which underlines the influence of big battery storage in Australia’s main grid, was marked by data providers GPE NEMlog, and occurred at 1.45pm on Tuesday, when wholesale electricity prices fell below zero.

Battery charging reached a peak of 1,049.3 MW, smashing the previous record charging rate of 789 MW set earlier in the month, and accounting for more than 14 per cent of state demand at that point in time. Rooftop PV was injecting more than 2.1 GW into the grid, so the batteries were soaking up half of that output.

The big surge in charging appeared to involve strong activity from all of the state’s biggest batteries, including the latest battery to join the grid, the first stage of the Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub.

Others that were active at the time were the recently complete Latrobe Valley, Rangebank and Koorangie batteries. Old stagers such as the Victoria Big Battery and the Hazelwood battery were also busy topping up their charge.

Victoria has nine operating big batteries, and a lot more in construction, including the second stage of the MREH, the 350 MW, 1400 MWh Woreen battery, and batteries at Terang, Mortlake, Mornington, Elaine, Fulham, Barwon, Horsham and Barnawatha.

In addition, two of the country’s biggest batteries have also received planning approval – the 1,000 MW, 2,500 MWh Portland battery next to the giant aluminium smelter, and a 300 MW, 2,400 MWh Nowingi battery that is part of a proposed solar battery hybrid.

Approvals have also been given to two big batteries near Dedarang in the Kiewa Valley – one owned by Trina Solar and the other by Mint Renewables.

Five battery projects run Victoria were also named winners of underwriting agreements under the Capacity Investment Scheme, in the largest auction of its type – Joel Joel, Deer Park, Kiamal, Little River and the nearly complete Mornington.

See also: Australia’s main grid hits record renewable share of 78.6 pct, one state reaches 155 pct wind and solar

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