CWP inks landmark connection deal for 30-MW battery in NSW

Australia’s CWP Renewables has secured permission to attach a 30-MW battery to the grid-connection point of its 270-MW Sapphire wind farm in New South Wales, the developer said today.

The approval of the performance standards of the Sapphire Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) will enable it to share a single connection point in the National Electricity Market as the wind park. The connection agreement is the first of its kind signed in the Aussie state, the developer noted.

The one-hour lithium-iron phosphate battery will be co-located with the Sapphire wind complex near Glen Innes, which has been generating electricity since November 2018. It will store excess power from the power plant and the grid and will feed it back when demand is high or generation has decreased. Due to its fast response, it will also provide frequency control services to stabilise the grid and improve power quality.

CWP Renewables plans to start building the BESS early next year and bring it online in 2024.

The 75-turbine Sapphire is currently the largest operational wind farm in New South Wales.

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