Australia’s first utility-scale, eight-hour battery storage system has officially been cleared to commence full commercial operations.
RWE’s 50-megawatt (MW) / 400-megawatt-hour (MWh) Limondale battery energy storage system (BESS), located near Balranald in southern New South Wales, has received final operational sign-off from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and transmission network operator Transgrid.
The approval follows a rigorous commissioning phase where the facility successfully passed stringent grid compliance and performance tests.
Consisting of 144 Tesla Megapacks, the battery is uniquely configured to charge at 100 MW and discharge at 50 MW. It can deliver its maximum power output continuously for over eight hours, securing its status as the longest-duration battery currently operating on the national electricity grid.
Sopna Sury, CEO of RWE Renewables Europe & Australia, said the project represents a transformative step forward for long-duration energy storage.
“This groundbreaking project transforms battery storage in Australia, marking a significant milestone in the development of long-duration energy storage and enhancing the reliability and resilience of the national energy system,” Sury said.
“Limondale BESS helps strengthen grid stability, supports a secure energy supply and enables more efficient use of renewable energy.”
The facility sits adjacent to RWE’s existing 314 MW Limondale Solar Farm, allowing it to capture excess solar generation during peak sunlight hours and dispatch it to the grid during periods of high demand or low solar output.
Sized specifically to align with the NSW government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, the asset was the first of its kind to secure a Long Duration Storage Long-Term Energy Service Agreement under an AEMO Services tender.
The operational go-ahead aligns with RWE’s broader Australian expansion strategy, which includes a pipeline of wind, solar, and battery storage systems, highlighted by the 1-gigawatt (GW) Theodore Wind Farm currently under development in Queensland.