AGL has announced the acquisition of the Yadnarie solar and long-duration energy storage project from Photon Energy.
Located near Cleve on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, the Yadnarie project will utilise RayGen’s innovative PV Ultra and Thermal Hydro technology.
The project offers AGL a development option over two stages, including up to 150 MW of solar capacity, 90 MW of thermal energy capacity, and 720 MWh (eight hours) of energy storage.
This long-duration storage capability is designed to help balance Australia’s energy system as it transitions to renewables.
AGL’s General Manager of Power Development, Travis Hughes, highlighted the strategic importance of the project for AGL’s broader renewable energy goals.
He said: “This project incorporates RayGen’s innovative solar-and-storage system technology as one potential solution to the need for long duration energy storage.”
Hughes added: “AGL has long been an early supporter and adopter of innovative energy solutions like RayGen’s, and this development has the potential to be a reliable and affordable solution to the challenges of long duration energy storage as Australia transitions to a renewable energy system.”
The acquisition builds on AGL’s existing relationship with RayGen, which includes both investment ties and an offtake agreement for production from RayGen’s Carwarp Power Plant in Victoria.
RayGen’s technology harnesses concentrated sunlight via mirrors focused on highly efficient Australian-made solar modules.
The system captures not only electricity but also thermal energy, which is stored in water reservoirs and dispatched on demand through organic rankine cycle turbines, supporting grid stability and long-duration storage needs.
RayGen CEO Richard Payne described Yadnarie as a groundbreaking project, stating: “We are thrilled to see our long-term strategic partner AGL investing in the project.
“Their extensive energy market operations and deep appreciation of our technology’s unique capabilities mean they are ideally placed to steward the project through the next phase.”
Payne also highlighted the growing global demand for such technology, citing its unique combination of high-efficiency solar generation, long-duration storage, and grid-stabilising services like real inertia.
The project received development approval in June 2025 and is anticipated to be deployed in stages.
The first stage aims to commission 50 MW of solar capacity, 30 MW of grid connection, and eight hours of energy storage by mid-2027.
The second stage plans to add an additional two blocks, totalling 100 MW of solar, 60 MW grid connection, and extended storage capacity by 2030.
This acquisition is part of AGL’s broader ambition to add 12 GW of new renewable energy and firming capacity by 2035, reinforcing its commitment to innovative solutions addressing Australia’s energy transition challenges.
Overall, AGL’s purchase of the Yadnarie project represents a major milestone in deploying advanced solar and thermal hydro storage technology at utility scale, with the potential to set a benchmark for reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy storage in Australia and beyond.
