AGL has today announced construction will get underway this year on a 250-megawatt (MW), one-hour duration grid-scale battery at Torrens Island, following AGL’s final investment decision (FID) on the project.

AGL Managing Director and CEO, Brett Redman said South Australia is leading the way in the rollout of AGL’s 850MW network of grid-scale batteries by the end of FY2024.

“We’re excited to be giving the green light to the Torrens grid-scale battery, the first one in the AGL network that is under development, and I’d like to thank Minister van Holst Pellekaan for his support and commitment to this project,” Mr Redman said.

“We put forward our vision for this project less than six months ago and with the hard work of our team and support from the South Australian government we are now ready to make this a reality.

“Generating more power from wind than any other state, we know this battery will be instrumental in maintaining reliable and affordable supply for households and businesses in South Australia in the years ahead.”

South Australian Energy Minister, Dan van Holst Pellekaan said South Australia will soon have a new ‘biggest battery’, funded by the private sector, which is a strong vote of confidence in our government’s energy policies.

“This will be the fifth grid-scale battery in our state, and the fourth one built since the last state election,” Minister van Holst Pellekaan said.

“This investment shows the confidence the private sector has in South Australia’s energy sector, as a result of the world-leading well managed renewables focus of the Marshall Government.

“It’s great to see AGL investing in new storage assets at the same time that the average household cost of electricity has come down by an average of $269 per year.

“Our energy policies are working to deliver cleaner, more affordable and more reliable power for all South Australians.”

AGL Chief Operating Officer Markus Brokhof said battery technology is key to enhancing the energy system’s flexibility while leading Australia’s energy transition and ongoing integration of renewables.

“It is through low emission firming technology, like batteries, that we are continuing to drive AGL’s energy transition and respond to the accelerating market forces of customer demand, community expectation and the development of technology,” Mr Brokhof said.

“Our battery program will also support us in achieving the goals and targets set out in our Climate Statement, which includes our target of net zero emissions by 2050 – a target we share with the South Australian Government.”

Earlier this year, AGL entered into framework agreements with global energy storage technology companies, Wartsila and Fluence, and is currently selecting the provider for this project in order to begin construction.

AGL is targeting full operation of the system by early 2023. The battery has been planned to be capable of an expansion of up to four-hours in duration, enabling AGL to adapt to changing market conditions.

In addition to this project, AGL is also developing a 200MW battery at its Loy Yang A power station, a 150MW battery at its Liddell power station and a 50MW battery in Broken Hill as well as supporting grid-scale battery projects including Wandoan, Maoneng and Dalrymple. 

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