Overview
The Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System (HBESS) is a 150MW/150MWh utility-scale battery that will deliver further electricity grid stability for Victoria. It has the capacity to store the energy equivalent of an hour of energy generation from the rooftop solar systems of 30,000 Victorian homes, playing a critical role in increasing the state’s energy capacity and delivering further grid stability. As an established power generation site with access to 1,600MW of dormant transmission capacity, Hazelwood is uniquely placed to accommodate battery infrastructure.
Situated at the former Hazelwood Power Station in the Latrobe Valley, the Hazelwood Battery forms part of ENGIE’s commitment to repurposing the site, which ENGIE has been rehabilitating since 2017. The battery’s innovative design and the site’s unique location provides the flexibility to scale up storage capacity quickly and cost-effectively in order to respond to network and market demand.
Battery storage serves a key role in accelerating the build-out of solar and wind resources, capturing excess power during periods of high renewable generation while discharging to meet peak demand and reduce reliance on high-carbon energy. The Hazelwood Battery will also participate in frequency control ancillary service markets, delivering critical stability to a grid increasingly comprised of intermittent renewable sources.
Key Figures
The Battery:
- 150 MW/150 MWh utility-scale battery-based energy storage system - intended as a grid stability and peak power asset. This means the battery will be able to send extra electricity into the grid in times of peak demand, or store electricity that is not being used in times of low demand.
- The project is funded by ENGIE and Eku Energy, and will be built, operated, and maintained over a 20-year period by Fluence, a global market leader in energy storage products and services and digital applications for renewables and storage.
- The battery will be built using Fluence’s latest-generation Gridstack technology platform - made of 342 modular, standardised factory-built Fluence Cubes - providing industry-leading reliability and safety at all levels of the system.
- The battery has an expected lifespan of 20 years, but key components of the battery can be augmented over time, or can potentially change storage technologies at the same point of grid connection further in the future to extend the life of the asset.
Project Partners
The Hazelwood Battery is being delivered by ENGIE, Eku Energy and Fluence.
About ENGIE
ENGIE is a global player in low-carbon energy solutions, focusing on renewables and the infrastructure and services that support its customers’ decarbonisation. In Australia, ENGIE’s portfolio includes 1.1 GW of operating gas-fired power plants, 165 MW of operating wind farms and a 2 GW pipeline of solar, wind and large-scale batteries under development. ENGIE’s Australian business includes energy retailer Simply Energy with 745,000 electricity and gas customer accounts and a successful Virtual Power Plant project, and a client solutions business focused on Net Zero outcomes for universities, cities and large companies and the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. ENGIE, along with partners, is also delivering two large-scale hydrogen projects in Victoria and Western Australia.
- 1.1 GW of operating gas-fired power plants
- 165 MW of operating wind farms
- 2 GW pipeline of solar generation
- Wind and large-scale battery projects under development
- Energy retailer Simply Energy with 750,000 electricity and gas customers and a successful Virtual Power Plant project
- A client solutions business focused on Net Zero outcomes for universities, cities and large companies and the development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Along with its key partners, ENGIE is delivering two large-scale hydrogen projects
About Eku Energy
Initially established by Macquarie’s Green Investment Group, Eku Energy is jointly owned by a Macquarie Asset Management managed fund and British Columbia Investment Management Corporation (BCI). Eku Energy’s purpose-built team brings together specialist technical capabilities, with experience across origination, development, system design, power markets and software optimisation. By combining technical, digital and financial innovation with a local partnership approach and data driven understanding of markets, we develop sophisticated revenue contracting strategies that maximise the benefits of energy storage systems in any given location.
Eku Energy’s 1GWh Australian portfolio in delivery includes:
- The 150MW / 150MWh Hazelwood BESS in the Latrobe Valley, Victoria
- The 200MW / 400MWh Rangebank BESS in Cranbourne, Victoria
- The 250MW / 500MWh Big Canberra Battery in Williamsdale, Australian Capital Territory
For more information, visit Eku Energy and Green Investment Group
About Fluence
Fluence Energy, Inc. (Nasdaq: FLNC) is a global market leader in energy storage products and services, and cloud-based software for renewables and storage. With a presence in over 40 markets globally, Fluence provides an ecosystem of offerings to drive the clean energy transition, including modular, scalable energy storage products, comprehensive service offerings, and the Fluence IQ Platform, which delivers AI-enabled digital applications for managing and optimizing renewables and storage from any provider. Fluence is transforming the way we power our world by helping customers create more resilient and sustainable electric grids.
For more information, visit our website, or follow us on LinkedIn or Twitter. To stay up to date on the latest industry insights, sign up for Fluence's Full Potential Blog.
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