Australia’s first eight-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has successfully received registration with the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
Located at the Limondale Solar Farm near Balranald in New South Wales, the Limondale BESS consists of 144 Tesla Megapacks and has a capacity of over 50 megawatts (MW) and 400 megawatt-hours (MWh), making it the longest-duration grid-scale battery operating in the country.
Once fully operational, the Limondale BESS will store excess renewable energy generated during the day and dispatch it into the grid when demand is high, improving grid stability and enabling greater use of renewables in the energy mix.
The Limondale BESS was the first recipient of a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) under New South Wales’ Long Duration Storage tender.
RWE Renewables Australia is delivering the project in partnership with Tesla, Beon, Lumea, and TransGrid.
This project an extension of RWE Renewables Australia’s works on the Limondale Solar Farm, which commenced in 2018. The large-scale solar farm is made up of 872,000 panels and generates enough electricity to power about 105,000 homes per year. Full commercial operation started in 2021.
The registration milestone marks the transition from construction into hold point testing, with the system expected to be fully commissioned by the end of this year.
Daniel Belton, CEO RWE Renewables Australia said the registration of the Limondale BESS marks a defining moment for long-duration battery storage in Australia.
“We are proud to bring our global expertise to deliver this pioneering project, which will support New South Wales’ shift to cleaner, more reliable energy. Battery storage is a key enabler of the energy transition,” he said.
“With projects like Limondale BESS, RWE is helping to unlock the full value of renewable generation by ensuring energy is available when it’s needed most.”