Victorian Big Battery comes online

Australia’s largest battery comprised of 300MW of Tesla Megapacks has come online at the Moorabool substation in Geelong.

The 300MW/450MWh Victorian Big Battery as it is called, which was switched on December 8, is planned to unlock 250MW of additional peak capacity on the existing Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector over the next decade of Australian summers and support the state in reaching its target of 50% renewable energy generation by 2030.

The battery, which is owned and operated by the French renewable developer Neoen, will under contract to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) provide an automatic instant response in the event of an unexpected network outage to ensure stability.

The battery will also participate in the National Electricity Market and support increased penetration of renewables in Victoria through network services such as fast frequency control.

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“The Victorian government is proud to flick the switch on Australia’s biggest battery which will help protect our network in summer, support our renewable revolution and slash energy prices,” said Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio at the switching on.

“Neoen’s battery is a fantastic achievement as Victoria transitions to our legislated targets of 50% renewables by 2030 and net zero by 2050.”

The Victorian Big Battery, which was completed in under 12 months, was delivered in collaboration with Tesla with its lithium-ion battery units and AusNet Services as the network partner.

Not all went smoothly however, with a fire destroying two of the Megapacks during commissioning in July, bringing a temporary halt to the activity. Investigations indicated the fire was likely caused by a coolant leak which led to a short circuit and subsequent thermal runaway. As a result, additional testing and operational measures have been put in place to minimise the potential and impact of such events.

The Victorian Big Battery is twice the capacity of the Hornsdale Power Reserve in South Australia, a world first big battery, which also is owned and operated by Neoen.

Analysis has indicated for the Victorian Big Battery that each $1 of its investment should deliver $2.40 in benefits.