RWE Renewables Australia has achieved a major milestone in Australia’s energy transition with the successful registration of the country’s first eight-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), located at the Limondale Solar Farm near Balranald in New South Wales.
The Limondale BESS, comprising 144 Tesla Megapacks , has a capacity of over 50 megawatts (MW) and 400 megawatt-hours (MWh), making it the longest-duration gridscale battery operating in the country.
This milestone marks the transition from construction into hold point testing, with the system expected to be fully commissioned by the end of this year.
The project was the first recipient of a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) under New South Wales’ Long Duration Storage tender, highlighting its critical role in supporting the state’s energy transition. Once fully operational, the Limondale BESS will store excess renewable energy generated during the day and dispatch it into the grid when demand is high, improving grid stability and enabling greater use of renewables in the energy mix.
Daniel Belton, CEO RWE Renewables Australia: “The registration of the Limondale BESS marks a defining moment for long-duration battery storage in Australia. We are proud to bring our global expertise to deliver this pioneering project, which will support New South Wales’ shift to cleaner, more reliable energy. Battery storage is a key enabler of the energy transition. With projects like Limondale BESS, RWE is helping to unlock the full value of renewable generation by ensuring energy is available when it’s needed most.”
Malcolm Sherrington, Senior Construction Manager RWE Renewables Australia: “RWE would like to congratulate and thank our project partners Tesla, Beon, Lumea, and TransGrid for working with us to deliver Australia’s first eight-hour battery and reaching another milestone in this important project for New South Wales energy supply.”
RWE in Australia
Australia is one of RWE’s focus markets, where it has been present since 2013. In 2018, the company began construction of the Limondale solar farm in Balranald, New South Wales. The large-scale solar farm is made up of 872,000 panels and generates enough electricity to power about 105,000 homes per year. Full commercial operation started in 2021. RWE is currently constructing Australia’s first eight-hour battery within the project’s boundary, which is on track to be completed in December. Its 1GW Theodore Wind Farm, in Queensland, recently received Development Approval and is working through the federal EPBC process. RWE’s Australian team of 80 is currently developing a portfolio of wind, solar, and battery storage projects across the country, supported by the global RWE team.
RWE invests in battery storage worldwide
As a driver of the energy transition, RWE develops, builds and operates battery storage systems in Europe, the United States and Australia. The company currently operates battery storage systems with a total capacity of around 1,200 MW worldwide.
Pictures of Limondale BESS (credit: RWE) are available at the RWE Media Centre.