Australian 150 MW solar, 250 MWh battery site gets connection approval

The Australian arm of London-based Elgin Energy says it has received connection approval for the Elaine solar-plus-storage project being developed near the eponymous town, in Victoria’s central highlands.

Elgin said AEMO has issued the “5.3.4A” letter confirming that the project meets the technical requirements for grid connection under the National Electricity Market (NEM) framework.

“This is a landmark moment for Elgin in Australia and a major step forward for the state of Victoria,” Elgin Managing Director Tim Averill said. “Elaine is one of our largest hybrid developments to date and reflects our long-term commitment to delivering clean, stable, and scalable renewable energy solutions.”

Located about 120 km west of Melbourne, the Elaine hybrid project comprises a 150 MW solar farm and a 125 MW/250 MWh BESS. Spanning 230 hectares across two land parcels, the project will connect to the NEM via a new 220 kV transmission line to the adjacent Elaine Terminal Station. AEMO is acting as the network service provider for the project.

The project will comprise approximately 230,000 ground-mounted solar panels as part of a fully integrated solution that includes German manufacturer SMA’s Hybrid Power Plant Manager, Sunny Central PV inverters, and Sunny Central Storage grid-forming battery inverters.

Elgin said the grid-forming inverters will enable the battery system to deliver system strength, charge mitigation, synthetic inertia, fast frequency response, and short-circuit strength.

“These capabilities are crucial for maintaining a secure and resilient grid as more variable renewables come online,” the company said, adding that the system is among the first hybrid renewable energy projects in Australia to achieve grid-forming compliance under the updated NEM connection framework.

John Alexander, vice president of large-scale and project solutions at SMA Australia, said the milestone demonstrates what can be achieved when experienced partners unite to enable reliable, utility-scale renewables.

“We’re setting a new standard in energy storage and grid stability, and we thank Elgin for their strong collaboration and shared vision,” he said.

Construction of the Elaine hybrid project is scheduled to commence in 2026, with commercial operations expected in 2027.

For Elgin, now majority owned by Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, the project contributes to a global pipeline of 6 GW of solar and 3 GW of storage.

Elgin said its Australian project pipeline comprises more than 5 GW of capacity across Victoria, New South Wales (NSW), and Queensland. Projects include the 60 MW Shady Creek solar and 120 MWh battery project being developed in Victoria’s Gippsland region; and the Barwon solar and storage project, comprising a 330 MW solar farm and 250 MW battery, planned for the state’s southwest. It is also progressing the 60 MW Glanmire solar farm and 120 MWh battery, and the 125 MW Morven solar farm and 500 MWh battery projects, both in western NSW.

From pv magazine Australia.