Global renewables investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners has announced its plans to pioneer a global market first in advanced long-duration energy storage solution developed in a technical collaboration with leading battery manufacturer CATL.
The groundbreaking storage solution is believed to be the world’s first genuine 8-hour battery at more than double the current maximum 4 hour duration BESS.
Quinbrook is planning a near-term deployment of over 3GW of long duration capacity at sites located across Australia to serve both existing partners and new commercial and industrial customers.
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The first sites planned to host the new solution include Quinbrook’s Supernode site in Brisbane, which already hosts Australia’s largest BESS campus. Quinbrook also has multiple sites that are strategically proximate to heavy industry in Gladstone as well as the planned Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct in Townsville.
The teaming of this storage solution with large scale power supply projects offers the opportunity for unprecedented power pricing outcomes by materially increasing the contribution that low-cost solar PV in particular can make across more hours of the day.
Solar PV is currently the cheapest form of power generation without subsidy in many locations in Australia because so many states and territories are blessed with abundant sunshine all year round. This new and advanced long duration battery solution developed with CATL is specifically designed to cost effectively time shift more stored solar power than ever before to deliver industrial customers the ability to power a two 8-hour shift manufacturing operation entirely from solar power.
Furthermore, this solution can defer significant grid augmentation costs and help existing baseload plants avoid higher costs and accelerated equipment fatigue caused by two shifting daily operations. Solar PV paired with longer duration battery storage can now deliver one of the most competitively priced power options available today and will help to create new jobs and support value adding industries in Australia.
Quinbrook co-founder and managing partner David Scaysbrook says, “This exciting advance from our collaboration with CATL brings us one step closer to the holy grail of 24/7 renewable power here in Australia which is the ‘dam busting’ moment for this country’s decarbonisation.
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“Teaming solar, wind and other power sources with long duration storage represents the future of sustainable and low carbon power systems, not just here but the world over. We saw this recently with news from the Middle East of the world’s first 24/7 baseload solar+storage project, so this is no longer the stuff of dreams.
“Most importantly, we have achieved a cost point and duration for this solution which is truly game changing compared to other technology options including many pumped hydro projects. We believe we are on the cusp of a solution enabling our Future Made in Australia ambitions which should encourage our existing energy intensive industry and builders of new manufacturing that Australia is the place to be.”
