Permitting boost for 5.6 GWh of Australian batteries

Ace Power has announced Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has determined its 900 MW/3.6 GWh Nebo and 500 MW/2 GWh Raglan BESS, in Queensland, will not have to undergo further environmental permitting under the terms of the nation’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

Ace Power Managing Director Andy Scullion said the approvals represent a major advancement for both projects.

“The EPBC determination means we can proceed without further Commonwealth environmental assessment, reducing project risk and bringing us closer to construction,” he said.

Located near Mackay and Gladstone, respectively, the Nebo and Raglan battery projects will connect to the National Electricity Market near existing sub-stations and Ace Power said both will play pivotal roles in strengthening grid stability, facilitating renewable energy integration, and contributing to the state’s net-zero emissions goals.

The four-hour capacity Nebo battery is poised to become one of Australia’s largest battery storage systems and Ace Power said it will provide essential firming capacity to support the increasing share of renewables in the electricity network.

Likewise, the Raglan battery energy storage system will enhance energy security by improving reliability and decreasing dependence on fossil fuels.

“The project will import electricity from the grid, which is then stored in the battery and subsequently exported for use in the grid during periods of peak demand,” the developer said. “This action of shifting energy from periods of low demand, to peak demand when it is most needed, has the effect of balancing energy flows in the network and therefore improving network resilience and energy security for consumers.”

With environmental approvals secured, Ace Power is now progressing toward connection agreements with Queensland network operator Powerlink, scheduled for negotiation later this year. Construction on both projects is expected to begin in 2026.

The projects are part of Ace Power’s growing portfolio of renewable energy generation and storage projects.

The Sydney-headquartered developer, which has backing from Germany’s Pelion Green Future, has an estimated 8 GW of large-scale solar, wind and battery energy storage projects in development.

The projects include the 200 MW/400 MWh Yabula battery energy storage system in Queensland, the 71 MW Red Cliffs Solar Farm in Victoria, the 150 MW Narrabri and Forbes solar farms in New South Wales, and the Narrogin project in Western Australia that is to include a 200 MW solar farm coupled with an up-to-200 MW/800 MWh battery.

From pv magazine Australia.