Ark Energy plans to add on 2000 MWh battery storage to wind farm in Australia

Ark Energy has announced it is seeking planning consent to change its original stand alone wind farm in New South Wales in Australia to add an eight-hour 250 MW / 2000 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

The proposal for the change to the Bowmans Creek Stage 1 park, located in the state’s Hunter Valley region near Muswellbrook, a large coal-mining area and one of the closest towns to major coal-fired power stations Bayswater and Liddell (now closed), has been submitted for review to the New South Wales state government, along with changes to the access road to allow for heavy vehicles. The area falls into the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), where transmission capacity is being upgraded.

The original project by Ark Energy, part of Korea Zinc, was cleared to build the wind farm in early 2024, with 54 turbines providing 335 MW, and was said to then cost AUD $569-million (or USD 379.6m), with a Stage 2 plan to add 21 further turbines still under consideration via a separate application, with an environmental impact statement (EIS) still being prepared.

No information about the battery type or potential supplier was announced by Ark Energy, though it did specify a battery system versus an alternative long-duration storage technology.