French energy company Engie and its project partners Eku Energy and Fluence have commissioned the 150MW/150MWh Hazelwood battery energy storage system (BESS) at the former site of Hazelwood power station in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, Australia.
It is the first battery project in the country to be located on the site of a retired coal-fired power plant - an important milestone in repurposing former thermal assets for renewable energy.
The project is jointly funded by Engie and Eku Energy. Fluence serves as its supplier and operator and will provide maintenance services to the facility.
In a first for Australia, Fluence is using its Gridstack, a grid-scale energy storage system, to manage functions including flexible peaking capacity, frequency regulation and renewables integration.
Built in the 1960s, the Hazelwood power station was closed in 2017 after 50 years of service. Rehabilitation services began soon after the power station was closed and the BESS system is part of Engie’s commitment to repurpose the site.
Hazelwood BESS can store the equivalent of an hour of energy generated from the rooftop solar systems of 30,000 homes.
This project is expected to play a critical role in increasing the capacity of renewable energy in Victoria while adding essential services to the grid.
Eku Energy chief investment officer and Asia Pacific head Daniel Burrows stated: “The Hazelwood battery is an example of how strong partnerships can support the deployment of battery storage systems at strategic grid locations as Australia’s existing generation fleet transitions towards higher penetrations of renewable energy resources.
“Today’s event marks another proud milestone in Eku Energy’s global energy storage portfolio, as we celebrate the commissioning of 150MW of safe, secure and reliable battery capacity to accelerate the energy transition.”
ENGIE ANZ CEO Rik De Buyserie stated: “ENGIE’s delivery of the Hazelwood battery is part of our commitment to building long-term, reliable assets that play a key role in the future of Australia’s energy transition.
“With its access to transmission and available space at site, Hazelwood is the perfect location for an asset that can grow in depth and duration, increasing the hosting capacity for renewables.”
