Australian renewable energy pioneer Maoneng’s Gould Creek Battery Energy Storage System project near Adelaide has reached a new milestone, with development approval granted by South Australia’s Minister for Planning and Local Government.
The company obtained the approval without any significant changes to its proposal, opening the way for the project to proceed to its next stages.
The 225MWp / 450MWh BESS will power up to 40,000 homes and be located directly adjacent to the Para transmission substation in the City of Playford, just 22 km northeast of Adelaide’s CBD.
Supporting South Australia’s commitment to renewable energy and emissions reductions, the BESS will provide efficient and secure power to local communities.
It will improve electricity grid reliability and network stability by drawing energy from the grid during off-peak periods for battery storage, and dispatching energy to the grid instantaneously during peak periods – helping the Australian Energy Market Operator maintain energy security.
The project has Crown sponsorship support from the Department for Energy and Mining, and will deliver millions of dollars of investment into the local economy and the community, who will continue to be engaged as key stakeholders.
Maoneng expects to begin construction work in late 2022, and completion of the project 12 months later, generating up to 160 full time equivalent jobs during this phase.
Morris Zhou, Maoneng’s Co-founder and CEO, said the project highlighted the importance of grid scale energy storage, and would support the state’s renewable energy goals.
“This approval is good news for all South Australians, as more battery storage will help smooth the transition to clean energy,” he said.
“South Australia has high levels of renewable energy generation, which is a positive development but can create challenges balancing supply and demand due to the intermittency of renewables. Our proposed battery storage will help manage this, supporting local energy reliability and security while also promoting greater uptake of renewables as a whole.”
“We can now progress with more detailed work on our funding arrangements and supply chain, which will provide many opportunities for local businesses to get involved.”
SA Minister for Trade and Investment, Stephen Patterson, has welcomed the development approval for the Gould Creek BESS project.
“South Australia’s reputation as Australia’s leader in renewable energy investment, and our credentials of producing around 60 per cent of our energy capacity from renewable sources, is helping to attract further investment into our state, creating jobs for our communities,” Minister Patterson said.
“Maoneng’s Gould Creek development will create up to 160 construction jobs and, upon completion, will provide 225 megawatts of power from South Australia.
“This is a significant $150 million investment by Maoneng Australia into South Australia’s sustainable future, and I’m delighted to see an Australian-owned company that is so committed to the development of projects that are critical for powering a sustainable world.”
About Maoneng
Maoneng is an Australian-founded and owned company that is pioneering Australia’s transition to 100% renewable energy through cutting-edge solar, battery and other utility-scale energy projects.
Maoneng partners with Australia’s largest utilities and organisations to build and operate these projects. Its portfolio includes nearly 300 MW of generation power from the Sunraysia Solar Farm in NSW and the Mugga Lane Solar Park in the ACT, which is enough to power over 50,000 homes across Australia. The company is also in the process of building more than 1,800 megawatt-hours (MWh) of utility-scale battery energy storage system projects across Australia.
