Edify pioneers with largest energy storage system

in Australia

Edify Energy has released the Knowledge Sharing Report for Gannawarra Energy Storage

System (GESS), to share some of the lessons learned throughout the development of

this pioneering project with the industry. GESS is a pioneering project in Australia’s

National Electricity Market. It is the first attempt at retrofitting a battery behind

the existing point of connection of a utility scale renewable energy power

plant, and at the time of writing GESS is the largest integrated renewable

energy and battery system in Australia and among the largest in the world.

The deployment of GESS unearthed several complex and multifaceted challenges,

in a classic example of technology outpacing regulatory reforms. The issues

faced demanded new regulatory, commercial and technical pathways. The

Knowledge Sharing Report released stands to disseminate these learnings, to

benefit the broader sector in the future development of hybrid systems.

Over the course of its development, Edify worked closely with its project partners,

AEMO, the AER, Powercor, DELWP, ARENA and WIRCON to pave a regulatory,

commercial and technical pathway to enable GESS’s deployment. In doing so, a

number of lessons were learned, which are outlined in the Knowledge Sharing

Report for the benefit of the broader sector. Principal among these lessons is

that GESS is a classic example of technological development outpacing

that of the regulatory reforms required to enable it. Retrofitting batteries to

renewable assets was, and remains, a complex task that will require a

renegotiation of existing connection arrangements and Generator

Performance Standards. Depending on the chosen implementation model,

the risk profile of the existing asset could be affected by altering its classification

to a scheduled generator. This complexity and risk can create impediments

and barriers to the uptake of battery systems, which may result in lost

opportunities and ultimately a less cost-efficient power system. Fortunately, and

largely informed by learnings from GESS, reforms are underway at present to better

enable regulatory frameworks for hybrid battery systems. In the report, Edify

Energy states:“As large-scale solar and wind continue to cement their place as

the cheapest source of electricity in Australia and globally, with speed to market

advantages over conventional power plant, the use of batteries and other storage

technologies will play an increasingly important role in their continued deployment

at pace and scale.

“As a sector, we need to identify the most efficient regulatory, physical and commercial solutions

to achieve this. Edify will continue to play a market-leading role in pursuit of this vision by continuing

to bring into operation a portfolio of renewable and storage projects generating more sustainable,

reliable and affordable energy to Australian electricity consumers. Edify aims to deliver many more

projects similar to GESS and GSF.”