The South Australian Government is dishing out more than $8 million in new funding for energy storage projects in the state ranging from batteries and hydrogen fuel cells to thermal storage using sewage.
The government claims the projects, allocated funding through its Renewable Technology Fund, will create about 50 construction jobs and 10 ongoing positions.
According to the South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill the Renewable Technology Fund “will not only help deliver clean, reliable and affordable power, it will also create new energy and renewables jobs in South Australia and make our businesses more competitive”.
“Our $150 million Renewable Technology Fund is putting South Australia at the cutting edge of renewable energy technologies.
{loadposition peter}“The incredible response to the Renewable Technology Fund and the diverse range of technologies represented in this round of funding shows how much potential exists in this industry of the future.”
The projects funded in this latest wave of energy storage projects are:
- Planet Ark Power – Schneider Electric $1.95m grant towards a $13.9m solar PV and battery project at a major distribution centre in Adelaide’s North. The project includes a micro-grid management system optimising 5.7MW of solar PV coupled with 2.9MWh of battery storage and integrates with SA Power Networks’ Utility Distribution Management System.
- UniSA $3.6m grant towards a $7.7m project at the Mawson Lakes campus that includes hydrogen production and a 50kW hydrogen fuel cell, a 0.45MWh flow battery, 3.2 million litres of chilled water storage and 1.8MW of ground and roof mounted solar PV. The project will cut campus emissions by 35 per cent and reduce peak demand on the grid.
- 1414 Degrees $1.6m grant towards a $3.2m thermal storage project at the Glenelg Waste Water Treatment Plant using a home grown technology being commercialised by 1414 Degrees. The project will include a 0.25MW/10MWh thermal energy storage device that holds heat generated from the combustion of biogas produced on site.
- SunSHIFT $1m grant towards a $2.69m modular and relocatable solar PV and battery storage project at the Heathgate Resources Beverley mine. The project will pair 1MW of solar PV with a 1MW/0.5MWh battery, and integrate with the existing on-site gas power plant.