Pacific Green, a global leader in renewable energy solutions, is proposing to develop one of Australia’s largest grid-scale battery energy parks. The planned development in Portland, Victoria follows the company’s first Australian battery project in South Australia, which was announced in November 2023.
Image Credit: Pacific Green Portland Energy Park
Once operational, the 2.5GWh Portland Energy Park will provide critical support for existing and proposed renewable energy projects within Victoria’s Southwest Renewable Energy Zone. More broadly, it will strengthen energy supply and price stability for households across Victoria and support the state’s net-zero transition.
By accelerating the shift to renewable energy usage in the evening peak, displacing more expensive gas generation, the Portland Energy Park will result in an estimated 3.8% reduction in total wholesale energy costs for Victorian households. The discharging of energy from the park will also enable the avoidance of approximately 66,900 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year.
Joel Alexander, Pacific Green Managing Director, Australia commented: “We are thrilled to announce our second battery energy storage project in Australia. Our mission is to deliver critical storage infrastructure to support the grid network and enable the decarbonisation of the energy market. The Portland Energy Park will significantly reduce Victoria’s wholesale market volatility and in turn lower prices, during the transition towards net-zero.
Strategically positioned within the Portland industrial zone, the Energy Park is in close proximity to the Portland Aluminium smelter and the Portland Water Treatment Plant, enabling the development to seamlessly co-exist with the existing electrical infrastructure positioned across the proposed project location.
Pacific Green will develop approximately 30 hectares for the proposed energy park. The site will include four 250MW battery energy parks, a 500/33kV collector, and a 500kV terminal station and grid connection to the existing 500kV transmission line. No new infrastructure is required outside of the project boundaries, with impacts on local residents expected to be minimal both during both construction and once the park is operational.
The Portland Energy Park is currently going through its regulatory approval process and is scheduled to be constructed in the first half of 2025. The development is the latest step in Pacific Green’s expansion into Australia after the announcement in 2023 of plans for a 0.5GW/1.5GWh battery energy park in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia. By leveraging its significant experience of delivering storage capacity in the UK, the company is aiming to help accelerate Australia’s transition to renewables by building a multi-gigawatt platform that will be deployed across the country.