Terang big battery to boost jobs and strengthen the grid

The Energy Innovation Fund has invested $38.2m across four projects under Round 2, which will create up to 200 construction jobs, 20 ongoing jobs and unlock more than $160m of commercial investment, according to the Victoria Government.
The Energy Innovation Fund has invested $38.2m across four projects under Round 2, which will create up to 200 construction jobs, 20 ongoing jobs and unlock more than $160m of commercial investment, according to the Victoria Government.

Victoria Energy and Resources Minister Lily D’Ambrosio visited the site of Fotowatio Renewable Ventures’ Terang Battery Energy Storage System, essential to storing Victoria’s renewable energy.

The project includes a 100MWh/200MWh battery and grid forming inverter, which was made possible through a $7m investment as part of Round 2 of the Energy Innovation Fund.

The project will include 38 inverters and 48 battery containers and create up to 150 jobs during construction.

Grid forming inverters use voltage and frequency control technology to manage the supply and demand of electricity flowing through the network and keep it performing reliably. This technology is critical as more renewable energy is connected to the grid.

Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV) Australia has appointed Canadian Solar’s e-STORAGE for construction of the project to begin early next year. FRV Australia will also award site maintenance contracts to local businesses.

Minister D’Ambrosio says The Terang battery is in a strong and strategic part of the grid and will soak up local renewable energy, support lower bills for southwest Victorians and boost economic development.

“The Energy Innovation Fund has been designed to position Victoria at the forefront of the energy transition, with associated benefits for supply chain and skills development — and that’s what the Terang battery is bringing,” she said.

Western Victoria member Jacinta Ermacora comment on the battery.

“This system is another big battery for Victoria – and it will be supporting southwest Victorian homes, businesses, hospitals and schools from 2026,” she said.

Victoria is transitioning to 95% renewable energy generation by 2035. With large amounts of solar and wind coming online, large-scale storage capacity is essential for storing the renewable energy from these new projects to further drive down bills for Victorian households.

This project will help meet Victoria’s demand for storage, as well as the Federal Government’s target of at least 2.6GW of energy storage capacity by 2030 and 6.3GW by 2035.

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