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Nor does it make sense to build a massive battery farm in North Queensland to supply the rest of Australia"
There are already massive solar farms being constructed in Queensland, and others on the drawing board,which have battery storage systems attached that use LIB technology such as in Weipa - RIO's bauxite mine. They don't necessarily need to supply the "rest of Australia".
The battery storage project, valued at around $2 million, was won by the Sydney-based company’s wholly owned power business MPower, which is also working with Rio Tinto and First Solar to build an ARENA-supported 1.7MW solar PV project, which will serve a remote bauxite mining operation in Weipa, Queensland, and could be expanded to 6.7MW.
According to a statement from MPower, the contract calls for around 800kwH of lithium-ion battery storage, to sit alongside a multi-megawatt solar power plant that is currently under construction. (Gatton will be 3.2MW).
Here's a map showing the locations.
On a smaller, domestic scale in Qld, Ergon Energy has been undertaking residential battery storage system trials in Townsville, while Energex last year launched their Battery Storage trail. The Qld Premium launched the trail saying....
Ms Palaszczuk said battery storage would be an important part of Queensland’s energy mix in the decades ahead, which meant training up the next generation of electricians for the jobs of the future.
“New technologies like solar battery storage will dominate the next phase of the solar energy industry, and with it a whole new opportunity for new jobs,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
https://www.energex.com.au/about-us...16/premier-flicks-the-switch-on-battery-trial
Other states are also looking at large scale energy storage. OZ Minerals, BHP all having a think about their future needs, following the power crisis in that state that cost both companies millions.....
The rapid advance of commercial-scale battery storage technology means it will play an important part in ensuring a stable and secure electricity supply for South Australia.
That's according to Terry Burgess, the former chief executive of OZ Minerals, one of the big mining companies hurt by the state's power crisis.
Read more:
http://www.copyright link/business/...o-terry-burgess-20170301-guoak3#ixzz4f8l1sozO
Sandfire's DegrussaCopper-Gold Mine mine is powered by 34,080 solar PV panels that are connected to a 6MW lithium-ion battery storage facility
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Large-scale storage is the new black" - says Clean Energy Council CEO.
http://www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au/news/2017/April/large-scale-storage-new-black.html
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All this means large scale energy storage will have a big future in Australia."
And that suggests there could be an opening for Australia to establish it's own LIB manufacturing plant.
(20min delay)