AMPYR Australia has achieved financial close of its 300MW/600MWh Wellington Stage 1 battery energy storage system (BESS) in regional New South Wales.
Once energised in 2026, the Wellington Stage 1 BESS will support the growing demand for reliable, renewable energy across Australia while lowering energy costs for future industries.
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AMPYR is on track to deliver more than 6GWh of energy storage projects by 2030, including Wellington Stage 1 BESS and an additional 100MW/400MWh in Stage 2, providing a total 1GWh of energy storage in the region by 2027.
AMPYR has signed a 10-year virtual offtake agreement with ZEN Energy Retail Pty Ltd (ZEN Energy) for 150MW of the Wellington Stage 1 BESS capacity. The offtake agreement will provide flexibility in capacity contracting for AMPYR while enabling ZEN to firm its portfolio of sustainability-driven customers.
The Wellington Stage 1 BESS will be delivered by Fluence Energy, Inc. (Fluence), using its advanced Gridstack grid-scale energy storage product. Fluence has also entered into a 20-year operational service contract to service and maintain the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, with revenues to be optimised by Mosaic (Fluence’s AI-powered revenue optimisation software) and Nispera (Fluence’s asset performance management software).
The lender group for the more than $340 million financing for the Wellington Stage 1 BESS includes the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), Bank of China, Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation (HSBC), Rabobank, Société Générale and United Overseas Bank (UOB).
AMPYR is partnering with the Aboriginal community in Wellington, NSW, on the Wellington Stage 1 BESS, including providing an opportunity to invest directly alongside AMPYR.
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Alex Wonhas, AMPYR Australia CEO, commented, “Reaching the financial close of our first grid-scale BESS project in Australia marks a significant milestone in the acceleration of Australia’s energy transition.
“Supported by our high-calibre partners, ZEN Energy and Fluence, the Wellington Stage 1 BESS will play a critical role in an increasingly renewable grid whilst boosting Australia’s energy storage capacity and supporting the delivery of low-cost energy to major users.”
