British energy company Pacific Green has unveiled plans for a large-scale battery energy storage project in Victoria.
The company is currently seeking approvals under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for the ambitious venture.
The proposed Portland Energy Park, located near the city of Portland in southwest Victoria, aims to construct a 1 gigawatt (GW), 2.5 GW/hour (GWh) battery energy storage system.
“Once operational, the 2.5 GWh Portland Energy Park will provide critical support for existing and proposed renewable energy projects within Victoria’s Southwest Renewable Energy Zone. More broadly, it will strengthen energy supply and price stability for households across Victoria and support the state’s net-zero transition,” the developer said.
This project, situated approximately five hours west of Melbourne, will span 120 hectares and consist of four 250 megawatts battery energy parks, a 500/33 kilovolt (KV) collector, and a 500 KV terminal station with a grid connection to the existing transmission line.
Pacific Green highlighted the strategic positioning of the project within Portland’s industrial zone, home to Alcoa’s aluminium smelter, Victoria’s largest energy consumer.
This marks Pacific Green’s second battery energy storage project in Australia.
The company has already secured approvals for a 500 MW/1.5 GWh system near Mount Gambier in South Australia, known as the Limestone Coast Energy Park.
This project was recently selected to receive funding from the federal government’s Capacity Investment Scheme.
Pacific Green aims to have the first phase of the Limestone Coast project operational by the second half of 2026.
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