RWE’s Limondale battery energy storage system with a planned installed capacity of 50 megawatts (MW) and 400 megawatt hours (MWh) has been awarded. The project will be located next to RWE’s existing 249 MWac Limondale Solar Farm with the project taking advantage of existing grid infrastructure. The project is currently working toward a final investment decision in the next 12 months.
New South Wales has set an ambitious roadmap to replace ageing coal-fired power stations with zero emissions generation and storage. The bipartisan policy is backed by a schedule of auctions for new renewable and storage capacity out to 2030.
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Katja Wünschel, CEO RWE Renewables Europe & Australia: “We are delighted to be awarded this major battery storage project and look forward to a successful partnership with the New South Wales government. RWE supports New South Wales’ ambition and appreciates the dedication shown by the government in policy design and the professionalism of Australian Energy Market Operator Services Limited in implementation which enables the market to invest with confidence.“
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„This success creates further momentum working towards a sustainable future in our core market Australia. In a renewables world, battery storages are key for a reliable, secure and sustainable electricity supply. We have been operating in New South Wales for some years, and now we are keen to develop a battery project that is exemplary, both technically and environmentally – hand in hand with local communities. It is another milestone on our way to expand our global batteries portfolio to 3 gigawatts by 2030.”
Limondale Solar Farm
In Balranald, New South Wales, RWE owns and operates a solar photovoltaic plant, Limondale, with an installed capacity of 249 MWac. The large-scale solar farm is made up of 872,000 panels and covers an area of 770 hectares. Full commercial operation started in 2021.
Battery storage systems are an essential part of the energy transition as they store excess renewable energy and release it again when the energy is needed most. As a driving force behind the energy transition, RWE develops, builds, and operates battery storage systems in Europe, Australia, and the United States. RWE is currently operating utility-scale battery storage projects with an installed capacity of around 300 MW (380 MWh), while completing battery storage projects around the world with a capacity of more than 900 MW (2,300 MWh). Globally, RWE aims to build battery storage systems with a total capacity of 3 gigawatts by 2030.
In Germany, at the end of 2022, RWE announced its investment decision for a new virtually networked 220 MW (235 MWh) battery storage project. In March 2023, RWE has acquired UK developer JBM Solar including a mature of 2.3 GWac pipeline of battery storage projects. Currently, two solar plants with integrated battery storage are under construction at RWE’s Garzweiler mine in Germany. (hcn)
