A large-scale Townsville battery will be Queensland’s first grid-scale battery to back up a transition toward solar and renewable energy.
Excess energy from 20,000 local solar power systems will charge the 4 MW Tesla battery during the day, providing residents with steady power during peak load periods.
In addition, the Queensland government has singled out energy storage as key to reaching its target of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030.
“This is a small but significant addition to Queensland’s publicly-owned electricity system,” said acting Energy Minister Mark Furner.
“As the first community-scale battery in Queensland, this represents an energy milestone.”
Townsville battery system will support larger power plan
Local member Aaron Harper has welcomed the battery’s contribution to reliability for residents. He said it builds on the Palaszczuk Government’s $386 million Powering North Queensland Plan.
The plan focuses on the potential of residential, commercial and large-scale solar projects in the north of the state.
The 4 MW Tesla battery will be installed at Bohle Plains on Townsville’s northern outskirts in October.
It will support Ergon Energy’s city-based virtual power plant (VPP).
Yurika, a state-owned utility, manages the VPP, which boasts 135 MW of electricity. It can draw electricity or reduce load from contracted customers around the state to buttress supply to the NEM during peak demand.
A dozen large suppliers, including zinc producer Sun Metals, have signed on to supply excess energy to the plant.
The virtual plant supplied energy to the NEM 65 times in 12 months. This reduced grid demand during Queensland’s brutal summer heatwaves.
Solar ‘hot spot’ an ideal location for battery infrastructure
Townsville’s high penetration of rooftop solar power and proximity to electricity infrastructure also makes it an ideal location for large-scale storage.
“With around 20,000 residential rooftop solar systems in Townsville, battery storage technology will help ensure power quality and reliability in the local network,” Furner said.
The 4 MW Townsville battery will allow the city to add even more solar power to the grid.
In addition, it’s expected to ease excess voltage load on substations and transformers. Plus, it could lead to lowered spending by utilities on some network infrastructure, resulting in reduced prices for customers.
