World’s largest grid-scale battery to be built outside Newcastle

The NSW battery would be the largest asset in CEP’s planned network of four grid-scale batteries across the country, with total capacity up to 2000MW.

It is also the largest proposed grid-scale battery in the world today, with potential capacity up to eight times that of the grid-scale battery operating in Hornsdale, South Australia.

Peter Wright, CEO of CEP.Energy, said the business is on track to become the largest battery storage asset owner in the Australian energy market.

‘CEP’s grid-scale battery network is part of our dual-track strategy to generate and store clean, reliable and cost-effective electricity for Australian businesses, and make excess power available to the national grid to firm up the increase in renewable generation.'

‘To achieve this, we have secured strategic locations with excellent access to existing network connection infrastructure. We have also assembled a senior management team with outstanding credentials in national energy system design and management.'

The Hunter Economic Zone (HEZ) is Australia’s largest contiguous master planned estate, covering an area of 3,200 hectares, comprised of 900 Hectares of zoned developable land surrounded by 2,300 hectares of National Park.

‘The HEZ site for our NSW battery is zoned for heavy industrial use, pre-approved for power generation and located adjacent to an Ausgrid sub-station. It is among the best handful of sites in Australia for reliable and efficient grid connection,’ Mr Wright said.

Mr Wright said the Hunter battery is proposed to be developed in stages. An expression of interest process to select a battery provider will soon be issued.

Commencement of construction of CEP’s NSW big battery is planned for the first quarter of 2022, while the target timeframe for commencement of operations is 2023.