The Victorian Government has approved the state’s largest battery storage project, a one-gigawatt facility at Pacific Green’s Portland Energy Park, which it says will support cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable renewable energy for households and businesses.
The project, which has been fast-tracked through the Labor Government’s Development Facilitation Program, will feature four 250-megawatt battery parks and an on-site terminal station connecting the facility to the grid via existing transmission lines.
According to the government, the battery will store excess renewable energy generated during the day and release it at peak demand periods, with capacity to power 345,000 homes.
Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny said the fast-tracking process is helping accelerate renewable energy investment in the state.
“Our fast-tracked pathway has unlocked more than $6 billion worth of investment into renewable energy projects – helping provide cheaper and cleaner energy to hundreds of thousands of Victorian households,” she said.
The government said 300 jobs will be created during construction, with 60 ongoing roles once the facility is operational.
Approval of the project required compliance with conditions relating to biodiversity, bushfire safety, noise, and local road upgrades.
Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio said the battery would play a key role in stabilising Victoria’s energy supply.
“This battery will soak up cheap renewable power during the day and deliver it when demand peaks – powering 345,000 homes and slashing energy bills across the state,” she said.
The Development Facilitation Program, expanded last year to include renewable energy projects, is designed to reduce delays in planning approvals.
The government noted that more than one in five renewable project applications had previously been tied up at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, often delaying projects by up to two years despite eventual approval.
Since the program was extended, more than $6 billion worth of renewable energy projects have been fast-tracked, with capacity to power around 574,000 homes annually and provide battery storage for evening peak demand to over 1.6 million households.
The government said its record investments in renewable energy have contributed to Victoria achieving the lowest wholesale power prices in the country, and it expects further projects to help keep costs down into the future.
