Power for 240,000 homes and grid stability benefits from Tesla Megapack systems
Federation Asset Management Pty Ltd (Federation) and Edify Energy (Edify) have announced the construction completion of a major new battery system in the NSW Riverina that will be able to power 240,000 homes for 2 hours via the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Known as the Riverina and Darlington Point energy storage systems, the battery has a 150 megawatt (MW) capacity and can run for up to two hours of peak demand, providing a total energy output of 300 megawatt hours (MWh).
The new facility is one of the largest and most advanced batteries in NSW and provides significant stability features for the grid thanks to the advanced features of the Tesla Megapack which make up the entire project’s storage.
The facility consists of three independent but co-located units with 100% of the energy output pre-sold for 10 years to Shell Energy and EnergyAustralia:
- 60MW / 120MWh Riverina Energy Storage System 1 (output contracted to Shell Energy);
- 65MW / 130MWh Riverina Energy Storage System 2 (output contracted to EnergyAustralia); and
- 25MW / 50MWh Darlington Point Energy Storage System (output contracted to EnergyAustralia with grant funding provided by ARENA and the NSW Government as part of the Emerging Energy Program).
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and NSW governments have jointly provided $13.1m in funding under the Emerging Energy Program to support next generation, dispatchable large-scale energy and storage projects like this one and in particular, to support the project’s use of advanced inverters to increase hosting capacity in the region.
Sydney based Federation Asset management, a fund manager specialising in private equity assets in the energy transition and social infrastructure sectors, has a 90% interest in the project. The battery was developed and will be operated by Australian sustainable energy specialist Edify who also owns the balancing 10% equity.
The Riverina and Darlington Point energy storage systems will be a seed asset for the Sustainable Australian Real Asset fund (SARA), a pure play Australian energy transition fund managed by Federation and currently open to institutional investors.
John Cole, Chief Executive of Edify said:
“Edify is very proud of this asset, both technically and physically. We have designed and delivered this significant battery project. Having a strong collaborative approach with all our partners to deliver these ground breaking projects is key, be they government, community, financial or technical. It is our consistent ability to deliver value to our partners that sets us apart. It was exciting to share the successful completion of the batteries with our partners at this event. Tesla’s Megapacks are the most advanced battery systems in the National Electricity Market, equipped with grid forming inverters that operate in virtual synchronous generator mode. This allows the storage system to operate in a manner akin to a conventional generator and provide crucial system strength services to help facilitate the connection of future clean energy power plants in the region.
Stephen Panizza, founder and co-head of renewable energy at Federation said:
“The Riverina and Darlington Point energy storage systems is another step in Australia’s energy transition journey. Battery energy storage is vital to advancing the dispatchability and resilience of an expanding renewable power system which is critical to Australia meeting its legislated emission targets. The battery is positioned in a region rich with sustainable energy potential and connects to the National Electricity Market (NEM) at Transgrid’s Darlington Point substation.
The Riverina and Darlington Point battery energy storage systems is located on Wiradjuri country, the largest Aboriginal Nation in New South Wales.
Federation and Edify were delighted to welcome distinguished guests to the new battery site in the Riverina to celebrate the construction completion of this important addition to the electricity grid in New South Wales. The guests were welcomed by the traditional owners of the land, where a smoking ceremony took place, and given a firsthand look at the innovative battery technology that is being used to support the electricity grid. The tour provided a unique opportunity to see the Megapack units up close and learn more about their capabilities and features.
