4 days ago
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Ayala-led ACEN Corp. has approved an investment in Australia’s battery energy storage system (BESS) asset.
In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Tuesday, March 11, ACEN announced the approval of an investment in the 400 megawatt-hour (MWh) New England Storage System (BESS) project located in Uralla, New South Wales, Australia.
The project is estimated to cost approximately $160 million, or ₱9 billion, according to ACEN.
ACEN Australia, the company's Australian subsidiary, partnered with global energy storage firm Energy Vault in February to lead development efforts for the BESS, which will be situated near the New England Solar project. Site inspections have been completed, and geotechnical and design work are nearing completion.
Tim Greenaway, ACEN Australia head of construction and engineering, stated that civil and base electrical work for the battery storage facility are scheduled to commence in the coming months.
Once operational, the BESS is anticipated to address the growing energy demand of consumers in New South Wales and Queensland, and is expected to become Australia’s largest co-located solar and battery storage facility contributing to the national grid.
The 720 MW New England Solar project occupies a 2,000-hectare site and connects to a 330 kilovolt (kV) power line operated by TransGrid. It secured a 20-year Long Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) in the New South Wales (NSW) government’s first renewable energy and storage auction in 2023.
