Pacific Blue Australia Begins $100M Grid-Scale Battery Construction

Renewable energy developer Pacific Blue Australia has officially broken ground on its inaugural energy storage project, a $100 million, 60 MW / 130 MWh grid-scale battery in South Australia. A sod-turning ceremony on June 12, 2024, marked the start of construction at the Clements Gap site, with the battery expected to become operational in 2026.

The new Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will be strategically co-located with the company’s existing 56.7 MW Clements Gap Wind Farm, which has been in operation since 2010. By connecting to the existing substation 160 kilometers north of Adelaide, the project cleverly minimizes the need for new transmission infrastructure. The system will be composed of 50 lithium-ion battery containers supplied by Trina Solar, with inverters from Germany’s SMA Solar Technology.

Domenic Capomolla, CEO of Pacific Blue Australia, emphasized the project’s critical role in the clean energy shift. “Australia’s energy transition has predominantly focused on renewable energy generation,” Capomolla stated. “The missing piece is storing that energy and deploying it to support grid stability, which is a crucial component of the country’s renewable energy transition.” Once complete, the BESS will be capable of powering approximately 30,000 homes for two hours during peak demand, bolstering the grid and helping South Australia advance its goal of achieving 100% net renewables by 2027.

This investment is a significant milestone in the company’s strategy to develop its 2 GW pipeline of generation and storage solutions. Pacific Blue, which is owned by China’s State Power Investment Corporation (SPIC), already has its next storage project in the works: a 200 MW / 400 MWh battery approved for its Haughton Solar Farm in Queensland. The company currently operates a diverse portfolio of 665 MW across nine wind farms, two hydro plants, and the first stage of its large-scale solar power project in Haughton.

Sources for Pacific Blue Australia Begins $100M Grid-Scale Battery Construction

1. Big battery added in 2024 to Clements Gap 2010 wind farm
2. Construction begins on new big battery next to one of Australia’s …
3. Pacific Blue Australia Commences the Construction of Grid Scale …
4. SPIC’s Pacific Blue starts build of 60 MW battery at Australian wind …
5. Pacific Blue announces significant investment in South Australia’s …
6. [PDF] Clements Gap BESS – Pacific Blue
7. Pacific Blue gets green light for 300 MW solar expansion and 400 …