11 November 2020 – International engineering, design and advisory company Aurecon is providing strategic and technical advisory services to French renewable energy company Neoen to deliver the Victorian Big Battery alongside the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) which will be the largest battery in Australia and the southern hemisphere.

Once operational by the end of 2021, the 300 MW / 450 MWh Victorian Big Battery, to be located in Geelong, will be more than twice the size of the 150 MW Hornsdale Power Reserve, which until recently was the largest battery in the world.

Aurecon’s Energy Industry Director Australia & New Zealand Heidi Sick said that Aurecon was proud to be supporting the revolutionary vision for the Victorian Big Battery for Neoen from project concept through to delivery.

“The Victorian Big Battery will provide highly innovative services to the grid which are critical to achieving the state government’s plan to move to 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030,” Heidi said.

“We know from the achievements of Hornsdale Power Reserve that large-scale battery storage is an essential part of the mix required to ensure grid reliability and stability against more extreme and frequent weather events and a controlled transition to a net zero emissions future.”

The Victorian Big Battery will participate in the Victoria’s System Integrated Protection Scheme to provide grid support services to unlock an additional 250 MW of peak capacity on the existing Victoria to New South Wales Interconnector over the next decade of Australian summers.

Aurecon has been providing engineering, design and advisory services to Neoen for the Victorian Big Battery including studies, design and tendering support and looks forward to continuing to support Neoen, as well as working closely with Tesla, AusNet Services and all project partners to deliver this world-leading battery storage facility.

Aurecon was previously engaged by the South Australian Government from the outset of the Hornsdale Power Reserve, a 150 MW battery project, owned and operated by Neoen and supplied by Tesla, that delivered on all objectives through project design and delivery and will look to achieve the same success for the Victorian Big Battery.