Victoria approves its largest grid battery system to date

The Victorian Government has approved what it says is the state’s largest ever battery storage project, at 1 GW capacity. Pacific Green’s $1.3 billion Portland Energy Park has been fast-tracked through the government’s Development Facilitation Program.

The project will include four 250 MW battery ‘parks’, set to make it the state’s largest battery and one of the world’s largest renewable energy storage batteries. An onsite terminal station will also connect the facility to the grid via existing transmission lines.

The proponent was required to show the development will be compliant with conditions regarding biodiversity impacts, bushfire safety and noise, while also including upgrades to nearby roads in the scope of works.

The Victorian Government opened up the Development Facilitation Program to include renewable energy projects last year, in order to get cleaner and cheaper energy projects off the ground faster.

Since then, the government has fast-tracked more than $6 billion worth of renewable energy projects. These 20 projects have the potential to power around 574,000 households annually, and battery storage capable of meeting evening peak demand for more than 1.6 million households.

Prior to this fast-tracked pathway, more than one in five renewable energy project applications ended up stuck in VCAT, despite the overwhelming majority of projects being approved eventually — often delaying them by two years.

Image: Artist impression. Credit: Pacific Green.