Shell-Backed Battery Project in Melbourne Unlocks 200 MW of Storage

Shell-Backed Battery Project in Melbourne Unlocks 200 MW of Storage
A consortium led by Eku Energy and Shell Energy completed the second-biggest battery storage project in the Australian state of Victoria with a capacity of 200 MW.
Image by Petmal via iStock

A consortium led by Eku Energy and Shell Energy has completed the second-biggest battery storage project in the Australian state of Victoria with a capacity of 200 megawatts (MW).

The Rangebank Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Melbourne’s Rangebank Businesss Park provides up to 400 MW hours (MWh) of power, enough for 80,000 homes.

“Rangebank BESS will play a crucial role in helping stabilize Victoria’s state electricity supply by providing additional storage capacity which can be discharged at times of peak demand”, Eku Energy said in an online statement Tuesday.

The full capacity has been committed to Shell Energy under a 20-year offtake agreement.

The project was announced March 31, 2023, as an investment between Eku Energy, the global battery storage platform of Macquarie’s Green Investment Group; Shell Energy; and Perfection Private. Canadian state-owned pension fund manager British Columbia Investment Management Corp. later joined in by acquiring a stake in Eku Energy.

“For Eku Energy, Rangebank BESS is the third battery it has completed globally, adding to a growing portfolio of more than 50 projects in the pipeline”, Eku Energy said in the statement.

Shell Energy’s chief executive for Australia, Tony Keeling, said, “Rangebank BESS is an important addition to Shell Energy’s battery portfolio being our first grid-scale battery investment in Victoria and Shell’s first direct equity investment in a utility-scale BESS globally”.

“It will help support a more resilient power system in Victoria, and a more reliable energy supply for our customers as the energy market continues to evolve. This project demonstrates how dispatchable power like battery storage complements renewables, in this case being located in one of Victoria’s fasting growing population corridors”.

Project builder and supplier Fluence, a joint venture between AES and Siemens, handles servicing and maintenance of the system.

The design includes a single contiguous concrete slab and an externally located high-voltage cabling to ease access for maintenance and improve operational efficiency, Eku Energy said.

“AusNet played a key role in completing connection works within the Cranbourne Switching Station, which were delivered on time and on budget, contributing to the project’s overall success”, it added.

In another Australian BESS project, Eku Energy recently broke ground for a 250 MW/500 MWh facility in the Capital Territory, it announced November 22.

Williamsdale BESS is the centerpiece of the territorial government’s Big Canberra Battery ecosystem project. The larger project also involves behind-the-meter battery installments at nine government sites.

Expected to go online 2026, Williamsdale BESS will store renewable energy enough to power one-third of the national capital city for two hours during peak demand periods.

As part of the project, Eku Energy has committed AUD 500,000 ($320,900) to the Australian National University’s Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program. “This funding will support research and development activities that enhance the future uptake and integration of battery storage technologies, helping to accelerate the ACT’s transition to a low-carbon economy”, the company said.

To contact the author, email jov.onsat@rigzone.com


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