A Engie and its partners Eco Energy and Fluencia commissioned the largest battery energy storage system in Australia. With 342 modules and 150 MW of installed capacity, the equipment will store the equivalent of 1 hour of electricity produced by solar systems installed in 30 homes in the state of Victoria and inject this energy into the grid at peak times. The aim is to provide stability for the electricity grid and accelerate the development of new renewable energy production capabilities.
The venture meets Engie's plans to grow in technologies related to flexibility and energy storage in batteries. The company's goal is to reach 10 GW of installed battery capacity by 2030.
The entry into operation of HBESS (Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System) is part of the process of reusing the old coal plant (Hazelwood Power Station), in accordance with the Group's strategy of abandoning coal electricity production. This first repurposing of old thermal assets for renewable energy technologies in Australia is a concrete illustration of the country's energy transition and Engie's commitment to its decarbonization trajectory.
For Sébastien Arbola, deputy director responsible for Flex Gen & Retail activities, “HBESS is an illustration of Engie's commitment to developing assets that will bring flexibility to energy systems. Energy storage solutions, such as batteries, play an important role in accelerating the energy transition by ensuring the reliability of electrical grids.”
“By storing the energy produced at peaks when wind and solar sources are most productive or when demand is lowest, they make it possible to accelerate the development of renewable energies, satisfying the needs for balance in the face of the variability of their production”, he concludes. .
