Germany-headquartered renewable energy developer RWE has received the go ahead from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and transmission network service provider (TNSP) Transgrid to operate the 50 MW / 400 MWh Limondale—Australia’s first 8-hour—battery energy storage system (BESS).

Utilising 144 Tesla Megapack registered to charge at 100 MW and discharge at 50 MW, the project is located in the designated New South Wales (NSW) South-West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) adjacent to the 314 MW RWE Limondale solar farm.

The solar farm sits on 770 hectares, utilises 872,000 solar panels and generates equivalent electricity to power 105,000 homes per year.

Located in the NSW Murray region, 23 kilometres south of Balranald, close to the Victorian border and 854 kilometres southwest of Sydney, the Limondale BESS was built in collaboration with US-headquartered energy company Tesla, Melbourne-headquartered electrical engineering company Beon Energy Solutions, and both Sydney-based energy services provider Lumea, and Transgrid.

The Limondale BESS connects to the grid via Limondale Solar Farm’s existing 33 kV substation, reducing need for new infrastructure.

RWE Renewables Europe and Australia Chief Executive Officer Sopna Sury said the project transforms battery storage in Australia.

“[It marks] a significant milestone in the development of long-duration energy storage and enhancing the reliability and resilience of the national energy system,” Sury said.

“Limondale BESS helps strengthen grid stability, supports a secure energy supply and enables more efficient use of renewable energy.”

Limondale BESS was sized at eight hours in response to the NSW government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap (EIR) and was the first to receive a Long Duration Storage (LDS) Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) as part of the first tender undertaken by ASL (an AEMO subsidiary).

RWE develops, builds and operates battery storage systems in the US, Europe and Australia, and currently operates BESS with a total capacity of 1.7 GW, with a further approximately 2.5 GW under construction.