ENGIE has signed a virtual battery offtake agreement with Neoen for its Victorian Big Battery (VBB).
This is the first deal of this nature that ENGIE has signed in Australia. The offtake agreement will enable ENGIE to replicate the functions of a grid-scale battery, allowing for virtual charging or discharging at any time.
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ENGIE global energy management and sales (GEMS) ANZ head of commercial Tiburce Blanchy says, “This will help us manage the intermittency of our renewable energy generation portfolio and flexibility of our customer load.
“This virtual battery agreement is an exciting step for ENGIE and will complement our 150MW/150MWh Hazelwood Battery Energy Storage System (HBESS), allowing us to offer increased flexibility in our firming portfolio while we continue to develop other physical BESS projects.
“ENGIE GEMS provide energy and risk management solutions to support our clients and counterparts in the transition towards a carbon neutral economy.
“We have been pleased to work with Neoen on this partnership, which will help our customers meet their sustainability goals and contribute to the continuing decarbonisation of Australia’s energy system.”
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The virtual battery agreement with Neoen’s Victorian Big Battery will commence in late 2024, and will be complemented by a second similar transaction due to start mid-2025.
Neoen Australia CEO Jean-Christophe Cheylus says, “We are delighted to have signed this ‘virtual battery’ contract with ENGIE. It points once more to how this product meets the evolving needs of our customers.”
