A total of 12 grid-scale battery storage projects have been shortlisted for AUD$100 million (£57m) of government funding through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
They have been invited to submit full applications to the Large Scale Battery Storage Round, which supports grid-scale batteries to be equipped with advanced inverter technology.
The 12 projects, which include both new builds and retrofits for existing batteries, have an aggregate capacity of 3.05GW.
Advanced inverters, also known as grid-forming inverters, enable batteries to provide essential system services traditionally provided by synchronous generation such as coal or gas.
The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) recently identified a growing need for energy storage, outlining a trebling of firming capacity in the national electricity market, with more than 60GW of dispatchable generation and storage required by 2050.
ARENA Acting CEO Chris Faris said: “We are really encouraged by the number and quality of applications to the round; it’s shaping up to be very competitive.
“The 12 shortlisted projects represented the strongest of an impressive field and we’re looking forward to seeing their full applications.”
Full applications must be submitted by 20th July 2022 and successful projects will be announced in late 2022.
