<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/planning-approval-given-for-australias-biggest-battery-to-soak-up-solar-and-replace-coal/>
"Planning approval has been given for what will be Australia’s biggest battery
project, with a specific role to help soak up solar in the middle of the day
and replace coal in the evening peak.
The Western Australia state-owned utility Synergy is planning to build the 500
MW, four hour (2,000 MWh) Collie battery, not far from the state’s three
remaining coal generators, and says it could be doubled in size to 1,000 MW and
4,000 MWh.
W.A. is in the midst of a vastly accelerated transition plan from fossil fuels
to renewables, driven by the realisation that there are huge opportunities in
the switch to green energy – for industry, mines and consumers – and that the
ageing coal generators are costly, dirty and now unreliable.
The Collie battery received planning approval on Friday from the Regional Joint
Development Assessment Panel that is part of the department of planning.
The application says the first phase of the battery will be the flagged 500 MW,
2,000 MWh facility which will be split into two 250 MW, 1000 MWh “sub
facilities”. It will be located next to the Collie power station and the Shotts
terminal owned by Western Power.
“The proposal is pivotal to Synergy’s energy transition program and represents
a generational opportunity to support carbon emissions reduction and secure
energy supply,” the application says.
It says this and other batteries are needed to respond to the “solar duck
curve” created by the adoption of rooftop solar by more than one third of the
state’s households, which is hollowing out demand in the middle of the day, but
not solving peak demand issues in the evening.
The battery will be tasked to soak up solar in the middle of the day and store
for the evening peaks."
Via Christoph S, who wrote "Great news!"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
