<
https://reneweconomy.com.au/agl-commits-to-new-giant-2000-mwh-battery-after-big-fall-in-battery-prices/>
"Australia’s biggest coal generation company has committed to another giant
battery project, this time on land adjacent to the huge Tomago aluminium
smelter, the biggest single consumer of electricity in New South Wales.
AGL will build a 500 megawatt (MW), 2,000 megawatt hour (MWh) battery at
Tomago, featuring twice the storage capacity of the 500 MW, 1,000 MWh Liddell
battery, which is being built up the highway at the site of the shuttered coal
fired generator.
As it did for Liddell, AGL has chosen US-based Fluence as the main supplier and
builder for the Tomago battery, which is expected to start operations in late
2027, with construction work due to begin later this year.
But the most interesting part of the Tomago battery is the fall in battery
costs. AGL committed just 18 months ago to spending $750 million for the
Liddell battery, but now says that the Tomago battery will cost just $800
million for twice the storage capacity.
That reflects the plunging cost of battery storage, driven by efficiency and
density gains and manufacturing improvements in China, which is significant as
the costs of most other technologies – with the exception of solar – is rising,
according to the latest CSIRO
GenCost report.
It will also be a welcome contract for Fluence, which – like other big battery
suppliers, including the recently failed Powin – has been struggling in its
home market because of the impact and uncertainties of tariffs announced and
threatened by the Trump administration. It is the company’s largest ever
project transaction.
Liddell is the latest in a series of big battery projects announced by AGL,
which include the already completed Torrens Island and Broken Hill batteries,
and a number of other projects with which it has signed operational or “virtual
tolling” agreements."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
