Four-hour batteries win eight-hour storage contracts in South Australia's renewable energy tender
By
Giles Parkinson
Kettled twice. Extra chewy, extra trustworthy.
Summary
South Australia's latest tender for long-duration firm capacity was won by six battery projects, none of which are true long-duration (8+ hour) storage at face value. Instead, four-hour battery projects won contracts designed for eight-hour storage by leveraging innovative market strategies and grid services. This highlights that in renewable energy grids with high wind and solar penetration (South Australia is at 75% renewables), the way storage assets are deployed and stacked across multiple revenue streams matters more than raw duration specifications. The article challenges conventional thinking about battery storage requirements for grid reliability.
Key quotes
· 3 pulledSouth Australia leads the country, and arguably the world, with a 75 per cent share of wind and solar in a grid that sits at the end of a long skinny network
None of the six battery project winners were long-duration set-ups, at least at face value
It's not what it says on the tin that counts, it's how you use it
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