Ministers for the Department of Industry, Science and Resources
The Australian Government is supporting reliable 24/7 power with the commissioning of two grid-scale batteries in regional Victoria.
Through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA), the Government has provided $25 million in grant funding for the batteries to support grid reliability in Western Victoria. The funding was matched by the Victorian Government.
The first battery was commissioned in Ballarat in Victoria in October this year. The second battery, located at the Gannawarra Solar Farm, near Kerang in North Western Victoria, has also been commissioned.
The 25 MW/50 MWh Gannawarra Energy Storage System battery will respond rapidly to fluctuations in supply caused by increasing amounts of renewable energy, and will provide back-up power to meet low night time demand.
The Australian Energy Market Operator has forecast significant supply shortfalls in Victoria under plausible hot weather conditions this summer.
This is a direct result of Victorian Government policies forcing out reliable 24/7 power, and a failure to prioritise firming of heavily subsidised intermittent wind and solar generation.
The Morrison Government will continue to encourage investment in the storage and firming technologies needed to provide more affordable and reliable power to Australian families and small businesses.