The Cook Labor Government is continuing to back solutions for providing cleaner, reliable and affordable power to regional Western Australia as it pilots a long-duration battery in Kununurra.

The battery – which relies on vanadium flow technology and has a 78-kilowatt capacity and 220 kilowatt hours of storage – is well suited to Kimberley conditions, where energy storage must be temperature resilient and capable of delivering energy over a long period of time.

The pilot will also provide Horizon Power with lessons on how to integrate long-duration energy storage into its network, microgrids, and other off-grid power systems.

Battery storage already plays a critical role in WA’s energy mix, with large-scale batteries in Kwinana and Collie absorbing excess rooftop solar power during the day and redistributing it at night when demand for energy is greater.

VSUN Energy, a subsidiary of Australian Vanadium, has supplied the vanadium flow battery, and will collaborate with Horizon Power on system support testing over the next 12 months.

WA Energy Minister Reece Whitby commented, “Our continued investment in battery storage means households throughout WA can continue to reap the benefits of rooftop solar. He added that investment won’t just mean there is more clean, reliable, and affordable power for regional WA but that Horizon Power can better understand how batteries can support microgrids and other off-grid power systems throughout the State.

“We want to see households benefit from the energy transition and that’s why we will continue to support rooftop solar uptake while investing in an energy mix that combines large-scale storage and onshore wind with gas as required.” he concluded.

Kimberley MLA Divina D’Anna enjoined, “I am excited about the pilot of the long duration battery in Kununurra as it’s a major step towards providing clean, reliable energy for regional and remote communities, tailored to withstand our unique climate. It is important to help secure affordable and resilient power for our communities in the Kimberley and beyond.”