Goldwind Australia’s Coppabella Wind Farm in Yass, New South Wales, has secured two major planning approvals.
The project has been granted planning approval for the integration of its DC-coupled battery energy storage system (BESS), while AEMO and Transgrid have also accepted updated Generator Performance Standards for the project’s integrated wind and battery configuration.
Goldwind Australia CEO Ning Chen said, “Coppabella is being designed as a coordinated energy system, where wind generation and distributed battery storage operate together rather than as separate assets.
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“This allows the project to respond more dynamically to changing network and market conditions, while improving the overall value of renewable energy delivered at the connection point.”
The NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure approved Modification 2 to the project’s existing development consent, allowing a distributed DC-coupled BESS to be integrated with the wind farm.
The approval is for up to 53 BESS units to be installed within the wind turbine construction footprint providing a 222.6MW rated BESS with an installed energy storage capacity of 1,063MWh. The BESS will support the operation of 289.8MW of wind generation as a hybrid wind farm with a grid connection export capacity constraint of up to 270MW.
The project also progressed through the grid connection process, with the Australian Energy Market Operator and Transgrid accepting updated Generator Performance Standards under clause 5.3.10 of the National Electricity Rules.
The accepted standards support the project’s integrated wind and distributed battery configuration, and define the technical performance requirements for the combined system to connect and operate within the National Electricity Market.
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Chen said the DC-coupled BESS design allows substantial storage capability to be added while making efficient use of the existing project’s approved construction footprint.
“Battery storage has become an increasingly important component of Australia’s energy transition. Integrating battery storage into Coppabella’s project design will improve the project’s ability to support higher-value renewable energy delivery and provide greater operational flexibility in the NSW region of the National Electricity Market,” he said.
