Tesla Megapacks Selected for 100 MW/200 MWh BESS by Australian State Utility

Photo: Tesla

Tesla Megapacks selected for 100 MW/200 MWh backup of renewable energy by Australian state utility. This Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will be part of a power hub that CS Energy is building on the site of the Kogan Creek Power Plant, a 750 MW black coal power plant.

The Queensland state government has announced it will build a 100MW two-hour battery at Kogan Creek, next to the coal generator of the same name and a proposed renewable hydrogen hub, about 300 km (186 miles) from Brisbane. The project will cost around AU$150 million (US$112.6 million) and will create up to 80 jobs during construction and 10 operations roles once commissioned. For this, Tesla Megapack will be used, which is the best product for this purpose on the market. Queensland Treasurer and Minister for Trade and Investment Cameron Dick said the project should be operational by the end of 2023, according to Energy Storage News.

“Queensland has the natural resources of wind, sun and water to be a renewable energy superpower. As we work towards our target of 50% renewable energy by 2030, we can also support more jobs in new industries right across regional Queensland,” Dick said.

This Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will be part of an energy hub CS Energy that is developing at the site of Kogan Creek Power Station, a 750MW black coal power plant fed by a neighboring coal mine, both of which the company owns. The system will be connected to the Western Downs 275 kV substation of network operator Powerlink.

CS Energy is also building a green hydrogen demonstration plant at the hub that will be charged from a local 2MW solar photovoltaic power plant and will have its own smaller 2MW/4MWh battery system to help power a 700kW hydrogen electrolyzer and fuel cell.

The addition of the new project to its portfolio will allow CS Energy to better compete in the National Electricity Market (NEM) as it evolves in favor of the competitiveness of fast-responding batteries and inverter-based renewables. The Queensland government stepped in to fund the BESS, which it said represented further energy diversification and modernization of Queensland's public electricity industry.

Investment in energy storage solutions will allow the state to continue to roll out rooftop solar, allowing more Queenslanders to enjoy the savings that cheap renewable energy can bring, said Queensland Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen Mick de Brenni.

© 2022, Eva Fox | Tesmanian. All rights reserved.

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