Shell Energy wins NSW schools, hospitals $3.2bn power deal

In today's Daily Telegraph. They are yet to clarify which battery. Wouldn't that be something if PodZ got a look in!
State Government yet again doing all the renewables drive....come on Scott it's not all about gas...the batteries are here!

Shell Energy wins NSW schools, hospitals $3.2bn power deal; Edify to build Darlington Point batteryNSW public schools and hospitals will run almost entirely on renewables under a new $3.2 billion supply deal struck by Matt Kean.
NSW public schools and hospitals will run almost entirely on renewables under a new $3.2 billion supply deal struck by Matt Kean.The 10-year agreement between the state and Shell Energy includes the construction of a 100 megawatt battery about 50 kilometres south of Griffith.The battery will cost around $100 million and should be operating by early 2023. It will store power predominantly from renewable sources including the neighbouring Darlington Point solar farm.An artist’s impression of the new 100MW battery to be built south of Griffith.Because the battery will be connected to the grid, it will also draw on non-renewable energy sources. Shell is the current power retailer to the state government, which is the second-biggest energy customer in NSW after aluminium maker Tomago.Tenderers for the new retail energy contract had to include a “storage solution”; that wasn’t the case for the existing supply agreement.The government said Shell’s tender, which also covers government buildings, was the best value for money. It’s understood to save about $20 million a year compared to the arrangement it will replace.Mr Kean, the Energy and Environment Minister, said the government was using its “purchasing power to leverage new dispatchable capacity”.

The deal would assist in offsetting a looming capacity shortfall when the Liddell coal-fired power station closes in 2023, he said.

“This battery will help to keep the lights on and keep costs down during peak energy periods, and support more renewable energy to come online,” Mr Kean added.

Shell Energy chief executive Greg Joiner said helping “large energy users decarbonise and meet their emissions goals is a key focus for us.”

An Australian company called Edify will build the battery. Edify boss John Cole said the “uncertainties in this growing technology class are reducing and with it, the barriers to acceptance from market and network participants.”

Shell Energy will take 60 per cent of the battery’s capacity. Edify’s Mr Cole said that agreement was “a key component of Shell Energy’s success in securing” the government contract.

Edify is a shareholder in the Darlington Point solar farm. This will be its second “energy storage solution” in Australia, after installing a large Tesla battery in country Victoria.

Tesla may be involved in the new NSW battery. That is still to be determined.

Earlier this month Mr Kean announced the state government would provide $78m of taxpayer funds to the building of the 300MW Tallawarra B gas and hydrogen power station south of Wollongong, as part of covering the gap to be left by Liddell’s closure.