e-Storage to deliver 408 MWh BESS for Vena Energy in South Australia

e-Storage, the energy storage-focused subsidiary of PV giant Canadian Solar, has announced it will deliver 204 MW/408 MWh AC battery energy storage system (BESS) to developer Vena Energy for its Tailem Bend 3 project near Adelaide in South Australia.

Construction is already underway on the Tailem Bend 3 BESS, having started earlier this month, as reported by ESS News.

e-Storage will deliver the BESS as a turnkey EPC solution using nearly 100 of its SolBank 3.0 battery containers. SolBank is the lithium-iron phosphate chemistry based battery designed and manufactured by e-Storage for utility-scale applications.

The Canadian company will also be responsible for maintenance of the Tailem Bend 3 BESS under an initial five-year Long Term Service Agreement (LTSA).

According to Colin Parkin, President of e-Storage, the Tailem Bend 3 project will be e-Storage’s fourth to be delivered in Australia.

“With this addition, our Australian footprint now totals approximately 2 GWh, including projects delivered and currently under construction. We are pleased to support South Australia’s energy transition by delivering a reliable, utility-scale storage system that enables greater renewable integration and long-term grid resilience,” he said.

The BESS is expected to begin operations in 2027, and it follows Vena Energy’s existing Tailem Bend projects – the 95 MW Tailem Bend Solar Project from 2019 and the Tailem Bend 2 hybrid project that added 87 MW of solar capacity in 2023 and a 41.5 MWh BESS in January 2025.

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.

Elsewhere in Australia this month, Blackrock-backed developer Akaysha Energy switched on its 155 MW / 298 MWh BESS in Queensland and Australia’s distributed energy storage segment scored a win when the government announced the allocation of an additional $3.3 billion in funding for the Cheaper Home Batteries program.