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Project overview
  • Lead Organisation

    Edify Energy (operating as DPESS DevCo)

    Location

    Darlington Point, New South Wales

    ARENA Program

    Advancing Renewables Program

  • Start date

    1 June 2022

    End date

    30 May 2026

  • Project Partners
    NSW Government Department of Primary Industries and Energy

Summary

The Darlington Point Energy Storage System project is a new 25 MW / 50 MWh large scale battery storage system (LSBS) connected to Transgrid’s 132kV Darlington Point Substation in New South Wales.

The Darlington Point Energy Storage System project also includes construction of a new 33kV / 132kV substation with sufficient capacity to connect 125 MW of additional battery storage, which will be delivered in parallel to the 25 MW ARENA project.

Need

The project will test the ability of LSBS with advanced inverters to provide a measurable improvement in system strength. If this capability can be successfully demonstrated, LSBS could be used to reduce or eliminate the need for syncons in weak grids. The project is well-positioned to achieve this, as the co-located Darlington Point Solar Farm (DPSF) installed two syncons to remediate system strength and satisfy its grid connection requirements. The syncons will provide a direct comparison between the system strength contributions of the syncons and the project.

Action

The project aims to demonstrate that a LSBS with advanced inverters can reduce the cost of connecting variable renewable energy projects to weak grids by offsetting (fully or partially) the need for synchronous condensers in future projects.

Outcome

A successful demonstration will drive a step change in the industry’s approach to remediating system strength in weak grids.

Last updated 14 April 2023

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