BIG battery storage planned for Canberra
The ACT Government uses a Renewables Reverse Auction mechanism to determine how the households in Canberra are powered. The latest round of the Government’s renewable electricity ‘reverse auction’ will help Canberra stay 100% renewable into the next decade and deliver the best pricing outcome for residents in the program’s history.
The ACT Government has announced the successful bids under the latest round will build large scale battery storage systems in the ACT. The big batteries will support the territory’s own grid, and help avoid blackouts during periods of high demand and when large fossil fuel generators fail in heatwave conditions.
“Today’s announcement means more investment in Canberra, more jobs, and more cutting edge research in renewables,” said ACT Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Shane Rattenbury.
“These big batteries mean that our small jurisdiction is again punching above our weight when it comes to real climate action. Our investment is on par with the Tesla Hornsdale battery on a per capita basis - the largest investment of its kind in the world.”
This auction delivered significantly lower prices than previous ACT auctions, with an average price below 50 dollars per megawatt hour, about a third lower than prior auctions. Neoen have been granted a 10-year feed-in tariff (FiT) at $44.97 per megawatt hour. GPG have been granted a 14-year feed-in tariff at $54.48 per megawatt hour. The total cost of the FiTs from all auctions are expected to remain below $4.90 per household per week.
The locations of these batteries is to be determined.