South Australia’s principal electricity Transmission Network Service Provider (TNSP), ElectraNet, recently won Energy Networks Australia’s 2019 Industry Innovation Award for its Dalrymple Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The remarkable project is now in full commercial operation and is the first BESS in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to provide both regulated network reliability and security services alongside competitive market services.
As one of the most extensive regional transmission systems in Australia, ElectraNet’s network extends across some 200,000 square kilometres.
The transmission network has more than 90 substation sites and 5,500 circuit kilometres of transmission lines operating at 275,000 and 132,000 volts.
The Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Integrated System Plan (ISP), published in July 2018, highlighted that energy storage has a significant role to play in the future energy system with the continued growth of intermittent renewable energy sources.
The Dalrymple BESS showcases the widest range of services provided by a grid-connected BESS in the NEM, covering both energy and system security services.
ElectraNet designed, built and owns the Dalrymple BESS and leases commercial operation to AGL. The project received part-funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA).
Objectives and rationale
The objectives of the project were to demonstrate that utility-scale battery storage can effectively:
- Provide network reliability and security services alongside competitive market services in a network with a high penetration of renewable non- synchronous generation
- Provide “seamless” islanded operation with 100 per cent renewable generation following transmission outages
- Demonstrate a commercial model for the provision of regulated services and competitive energy market services, and build delivery capability for such assets
- The Dalrymple 30MW, 8MWh BESS is the first transmission grid-connected battery in the NEM providing both regulated and competitive market services.
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