Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has announced the test of five new battery storage systems, as solar systems in sunny Queensland continue to boom.
The Prime Minister said the five sites connected to the network in Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Townsville, Yeppoon and Toowoomba would have the capacity to store 40 MWh. She said it was a necessary step as the Queenslanders are installing PV systems in their homes at record prices. Today almost one in three people living in single-family homes in the Sunshine State has solar PV on their roofs.
"With Queensland having some of the highest rooftop solar imagery in the world, we want to make sure we are using this vital renewable energy source properly and our network is keeping pace with demand," said the Prime Minister.
"This means that the excess renewable electricity generated by Queenslanders is stored for sustainable use. This includes collecting the low-cost renewable energy during the day to distribute it to the market during peak periods of high consumption."
The locations are under:
- Black River Substation – Townsville
- Tanby Substation – Yeppoon
- Bargara Substation – Bundaberg
- Torquay Substation – Hervey Bay
- Torrington Substation – Toowoomba
Energy Minister Mick de Brenni said the connected network will also help in the future development and upgrading of the state transmission and distribution networks. It will also create opportunities for local manufacturing companies and construction work for local businesses.
If the trials are successful, the minister said more batteries would be installed as part of the state's efforts to reach 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.
"For this trial, Energy Queensland-owned locations were identified that could deploy as quickly and efficiently as possible and that have the highest levels of solar radiation on the network," he said.
“If successful, Energy Queensland could deploy distribution batteries in locations across the state. Renewables currently make up around 20 percent of the energy mix in Queensland, and that number will more than double over the next decade as we aim for 50 percent by 2030. "
Battery storage is becoming a priority in Australia
The battery network announcement comes after South Australia and Victoria have made significant advances in these technologies.
The $ 91 million Tesla battery in South Australia is the best known of these systems. Tesla boss Elon Musk has famously made a bet with the state that he could put a 100 megawatt system into operation in 100 days to solve the electricity crisis. He won.
In the first six months of operation, this battery recovered almost 25 percent of the original investment and made a significant contribution to stabilizing the South Australian grid. SA broke world records in 2020 by becoming the first region to produce enough green energy to power the entire state – an achievement that has been recorded twice.
Tesla then received the order for the massive Victorian 350 MW large battery (VBB), which is to go into operation in the summer of 2021/22. The supply-scale 350 MW / 450 MWh battery storage solution is part of the government's goal of achieving 50 percent renewable electricity by 2030.
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