AGL reaches milestone with Fluence on 2 GWh Tomago battery in Australia

GL has broken ground on its $800 million (USD 530.8 million) Tomago battery project being built in the New South Wales (NSW) Hunter region, saying the four-hour duration energy storage system will support more renewable energy generation in the region and enhance grid stability.

Being constructed near Raymond Terrace, about 20 kilometres northwest of Newcastle and within the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, the Tomago project will store energy from the electricity grid during low-peak periods and then quickly ramp up or down depending on electricity demands.

“With operations targeted for the second half of 2027, the Tomago battery project will play an important role in supporting reliable electricity supply for our NSW customers and strengthening the state’s energy future,” AGL said.

United States-based energy storage systems supplier Fluence has been appointed as the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor.

The project is expected to support up to 200 jobs during the construction phase and up to six ongoing jobs when operational.

AGL said the start of construction marks a major milestone in its strategy to deliver 12 GW of new renewable energy generation and firming capacity by the end of 2035.

“This project represents a major milestone for our business and an important step forward for the Hunter region and the broader NSW energy system,” AGL Chief Operations and Construction Officer Matthew Currie said.

“We’re also excited to continue our partnership with Fluence on this project, leveraging their expertise from our 500 MW Liddell battery, which remains on track to commence operations in early 2026.”

Elsewhere, more construction underway

Also commencing construction this week in South Australia, was Vena Energy, which has commenced construction of a 204 MW / 408 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) at Tailem Bend, about 90 kilometres southeast of Adelaide, with works expected to be completed in 2027.

The Tailem Bend 3 battery project marks the third phase of Vena’s broader Tailem Bend energy precinct. It follows the delivery of the 95 MW Tailem Bend Solar Project in 2019 and the Tailem Bend 2 hybrid project, that added 87 MW of solar capacity in 2023 and a 41.5 MWh battery energy storage system earlier this year.

The developer, which is owned by United States-based investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), said it has 6 GW development pipeline in Australia, including 732 MW of renewable energy generation and 600 MWh of battery storage capacity in operation, construction or contracted.

From pv magazine Australia.