Recently, Pacific Green, a renewable energy company in the UK, has achieved a key breakthrough in its flagship energy storage project in Australia. The battery energy storage system in the Portland Energy Park, located in Victoria and with a capacity of up to 1GW/2.5GWh, has officially obtained environmental approval from the Australian federal government under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, clearing the final major approval hurdle for this AUD 1.3 billion project. This milestone approval is the final major environmental permit required for the project after obtaining expedited approval through the Victorian government's Development Promotion Program.

The Portland Energy Park battery storage system project costs approximately AUD 1.3 billion and will be located on a 40 hectare industrial site next to the Portland aluminum smelter in southwest Victoria. The project is planned to be developed in four stages, with each stage constructing a 250MW battery energy storage park, ultimately merging into a giant energy storage system with a total capacity of 1GW/2.5GWh.

In terms of technology selection, the project will adopt lithium iron phosphate battery technology with excellent safety and cycle life. Approximately 200 containerized battery units will be deployed on site, equipped with advanced fire suppression and thermal management control systems to ensure operational safety. The project will be connected to the Australian national electricity market through an on-site terminal station, providing critical grid stability services directly to areas with high industrial load demand.

According to Pacific Green, the entire project is expected to be completed in stages within 36 months. The first 250MW unit is scheduled to enter commercial operation in the third quarter of 2026, and a similarly sized unit will be connected to the grid every six months thereafter. This flexible deployment strategy enables the company to better respond to market changes while gradually injecting new regulatory capabilities into the power grid. Keywords: Energy Storage Latest News, Energy Storage New Energy News

With the final approval checkpoint passed, Pacific Green is ready to initiate the detailed design and equipment procurement work for the Portland Energy Park. The gradual implementation of this giant energy storage facility will not only directly support the security of Victoria's power grid, but also serve as a key puzzle to accelerate the state and even the entire Australia towards a renewable energy led electricity future.Editor/Cheng Liting