The South Australian Government has granted planning consent to Pacific Green, a global battery energy storage company, for two grid-scale battery energy parks in the Limestone Coast region.
The Limestone Coast Energy Park project will consist of a massive 0.5 gigawatt (GW)/1.5 gigawatt-hour (GWh) battery energy storage system.
The development is set to be carried out in two phases over the next three years, with construction slated to begin in late 2024. The first phase is expected to be operational by the second half of 2026.
Once completed, these energy parks are anticipated to substantially enhance grid stability in the region.
Tom Koutsantonis, South Australia’s Minister for Energy and Mining said it’s encouraging to see more private sector investment in energy storage.
“An increase in storage will provide greater capacity at peak times, extending the availability of electricity generated by cheap renewables. It’s also particularly pleasing that Pacific Green has chosen the South East of South Australia for its project – greater diversity of storage locations will strengthen our security of supply and reliability,” he said.
Joel Alexander, Managing Director and CEO of Pacific Green Australia said the grant is a major milestone for the Limestone Coast Energy Park assets.
“We are pleased that the South Australian Government has recognised the rigorous assessment and community consultation work we have undertaken to date. We look forward to re-engaging with the local community to maximise the tangible economic benefits of the Limestone Coast Energy Parks and to ensure funding and local contracting opportunities are open to all relevant groups,” he said.
“This is a positive and exciting start to an exceptional pipeline of Australian projects to come.”
Pacific Green has emphasised its commitment to minimising local impacts throughout the approval process.
The company said it had engaged various independent specialists to conduct comprehensive assessments covering environmental, technical, and heritage aspects of the project. Additionally, it carried out targeted stakeholder and community consultation to ensure local concerns were addressed.
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