Pacific Green has been given the green light to develop the 1GW Portland Energy Park, Victoria’s largest-ever battery storage project with a capacity enough to power 345,000 homes at peak demand times.
The State Government has approved the project and is being fast-tracked through the Development Facilitation Program.
The $1.3 billion project will include four 250MW battery parks and an on-site terminal station that will connect the facility to the grid via existing transmission lines.
“This battery will soak up cheap renewable power during the day and deliver it when demand peaks – powering 345,000 homes and slashing energy bills across the state,” Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio said.
Portland Energy Park is set to become Victoria’s largest battery and one of the world’s biggest renewable energy storage batteries.
The battery will soak up and store cheap renewable energy during the day and pump it back into the electricity grid at times of peak demand, delivering cheaper energy bills as well as reliable electricity to Victorian homes and businesses.
This massive renewable energy project is expected to generate 300 jobs during its construction phase and 60 ongoing jobs once the energy park is operational.
Pacific Green was required to show that the Portland Energy Park 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 Portland Energy Park is strategically located within the industrial zone area on Madeira Packet Road, and it is in close proximity to the Portland Aluminium Smelter and the Portland Water Treatment Plant.
“We are pleased that our second Australian asset has secured the support needed to move forward. Drawing on our global expertise in developing energy parks across the UK, Europe and Australia, the Portland project will play a major role in decarbonising Australia’s energy system. Its scale underlines our ambition to become a leading developer in the market and to accelerate the nation’s transition to renewables through a multi-gigawatt platform,” Pacific Green Chairman and CEO Scott Poulter said.
“We are thrilled to reach today’s milestone as it represents a significant achievement for Pacific Green. Once operational, Portland will stand as Australia’s largest grid-scale battery, driving Victoria’s energy transition forward. At a regional level, we extend our thanks to local First Nations representatives, the community and stakeholders for their engagement, and we look forward to sharing further updates on supply chain opportunities as the project progresses,” Pacific Green Energy Storage Australia Managing Director Joel Alexander said.
The Victorian Government opened the Development Facilitation Program to include renewable energy projects last year, enabling the State to get more cleaner and cheaper energy projects off the ground faster.
Since then, the State Government has fast-tracked more than $6 billion worth of renewable energy projects. The 20 projects have the potential to power up to 574,000 households each year, and battery storage capable of meeting evening peak demand for more than 1.6 million households.
“Our fast-tracked pathway has unlocked more than $6 billion worth of investment into renewable energy projects – helping provide cheaper and cleaner energy to hundreds of thousands of Victorian households,” Minister for Planning Sonya Kilkenny said.
Source: Premier of Victoria – Media Centre; Renew Economy; Pacific Green