Epic 200 MWh battery begins operation in South Australia

SA-based renewables developer Epic Energy has said its 100 MW/200 MWh Mannum BESS has completed commissioning and commenced commercial operation.

The estimated AUD 130 million ($84 million) battery was built as part of Epic’s Mannum Energy Park, that includes two solar farms with a combined 35 MW generation capacity and an existing substation, located about 60 km east of state capital Adelaide.

The Mannum battery officially entered the energy market operator’s Market Management System in June and has been working its way through various “hold points” since then.

Epic confirmed on Monday that the BESS is now fully operational, capable of sending 100 MW of power into the electricity grid for up to two hours, helping to manage variability and support stability in the National Electricity Market.

“The BESS will absorb surplus energy when demand is low and direct it into the grid to help support the consistent supply of renewable electricity when demand peaks,” the company said in a statement.

The Mannum battery is the latest large-scale energy storage system to commence operations in SA. The existing fleet also includes the Blyth, Hornsdale, Dalrymple North, Torrens Island, Lake Bonney, Tailem Bend, and Lincoln Gap batteries.

At least another seven big batteries are already under construction in the state, including the Templers, Clements Gap, Hallett, Limestone Coast, Bungama, Solar River, and Summerfield projects.

The SA government has also appointed ASL, formerly AEMO Services, to run a tender for long-duration storage through the Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism that it announced earlier this year.

The tender, scheduled to open later this month, will seek 700 MW of new firming projects capable of providing at least eight hours of continuous discharge. The tender is targeting 400 MW of capacity by November, with a further 200 MW by late 2029 and 100 MW by 2031.

From pv magazine Australia.