Giant new batteries in Western Australia store renewable energy

ABC NEWS (Australia)

One of the biggest challenges of the power system is perfectly matching generation with demand in real-time, as electricity couldn't be stored. However, in Western Australia, a wave of giant new batteries is turning this convention on its head, storing vast amounts of excess renewable energy so it can be used later in the day.

Transcript

00:00From the old, to the new. In the shadow of a retired coal plant, the modern face of Western

00:09Australia's energy system is taking shape. This 200 megawatt, 800 megawatt hour battery

00:14is helping the electricity system tackle a modern challenge. Shifting the supply of renewable

00:20energy, which is abundant sometimes and scarce at others, to when people need it most.

00:27Working is really about soaking up the energy in the middle of the day and then releasing

00:31it at 6pm when everybody cranks up their air conditioning, starts cooking, families get

00:36home. More than any other state, WA is betting large

00:40on big batteries. Across the state's main grid, a slew of giant battery projects is

00:45being added as coal fired generation is phased out. State-owned power company Synergy says

00:51So many batteries are needed because, unlike other jurisdictions, WA can't rely on anyone

00:57else. Western Australia is a really unique system.

01:00It's the largest, most isolated system in the world. We don't have an interconnector

01:04that takes, where you can export excess energy or in times of need, import additional energy.

01:11Renewable energy advocates say WA's gambit is being closely watched.

01:15So while we do have a number of big batteries projects in the east coast grid, they don't

01:23form such a high proportion of the overall grid demand. So I think the effects we're

01:27going to see of these batteries in WA is going to be on another level.

01:31The splurge on big batteries in WA isn't without its sceptics. Some say the state is centralising

01:37control in just a few hands, and not doing enough to encourage battery uptake among households.

01:44Critics say the push will simply create other problems.

01:48It's a bit like a sugar hit. You get a one hit out of a battery and unless you can guarantee

01:53you've got something to recharge it with, you've got a problem because the sugar hit

01:57isn't there tomorrow.

01:58But others say the batteries will pave the way for more renewable energy.

02:02If you've got more and more rooftop solar power in the state, it means we're using less

02:05and less of the traditional incumbent generators, such as your coal and gas generators.

02:11Battery storage you'll find will be an essential cog in the energy system and it will play

02:17an incredible role in allowing additional renewable energy to come on in the system.

02:22Charging forwards in an uncertain transition.

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