This year, ElectraNet’s Dalrymple grid-scale battery on the Yorke Peninsula is celebrating its 5-year anniversary.
The 30 MW / 8 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) was the first transmission grid-connected battery in Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM), providing both regulated and competitive market services.
Construction of the battery commenced in October 2017 and the site was energised in April 2018. This was followed by commissioning and testing before commencement of commercial operation in December 2018.
ElectraNet’s Chief Operating Officer, Rainer Korte, said, “The Dalrymple battery has been an important innovation project for ElectraNet. We developed a first of its kind commercial model which enables the battery to provide both regulated and competitive market services. ElectraNet is responsible for the regulated network reliability and security services the BESS provides, while AGL operates most of the battery’s capacity under a lease arrangement to provide competitive market services.”
“The Dalrymple BESS was the first grid-forming battery in the NEM and has demonstrated the capability to seamlessly switch between grid-connected operation and islanded operation, improving the reliability and strength of the grid, particularly for people living on the lower Yorke Peninsula.”
“When grid connection is lost, the BESS assists in holding up the power supply to residents and businesses in the area by utilising the energy stored in the battery, AGL’s 90 MW Wattle Point wind farm, and the solar PV embedded throughout the local community.”
“The success of the Dalrymple BESS is a testament to the dedication and professionalism of many people who made it a reality and would not have been possible without strong support from our project partners, including AGL, Advisian, construction contractor Consolidated Power Projects (CPP), the battery supplier, Samsung, and Hitachi Energy, who supplied the inverters and central control system for the BESS,” Rainer said.
The Dalrymple battery also won two innovation awards, the 2019 Energy Networks Australia Industry Innovation Award, and the Energy Sector – Transformational Innovation category at the 2019 South Australian Premier’s Awards in Energy and Mining.
AGL’s GM Renewables Integrated Energy, Terry Jobling, said, “Over the past five years, the Dalrymple battery has demonstrated the critical role battery storage will play in the energy transition by providing an efficient and effective response to changes in the energy system.”
“By taking advantage of South Australia’s world-leading levels of wind and solar PV generation relative to demand, this battery shows how we can make the most of grid connections and firming capacity.”
“Since the launch of Dalrymple, we announced our Climate Transition Action Plan and our ambition to build ~12 GW of new renewable generation, and firming capacity by the end of 2035.”
“It’s great to see the contribution the Dalrymple battery has made to our decarbonisation commitment, and we look forward to many more years of it contributing reliable energy to the grid,” Terry said.
ElectraNet’s Lead Development Manager, Luke Ballantine, said, “The grid-scale battery market in South Australia is taking off in a huge way.”
“We see the market for energy storage (dominated by BESS) to be more than 4 GW in South Australia and are actively seeking to be a provider of BESS solutions for customers wanting to add storage to their portfolio. ElectraNet’s Dalrymple battery demonstrates our capability to deliver BESS solutions.”
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