Engie has begun building a new large-scale battery next to its Pelican Point gas-fired power station in South Australia, designed to boost capacity and flexibility in the state’s electricity grid.
The 200-megawatt/400 megawatt-hour Pelican Point battery energy storage system (BESS) is being constructed alongside the 489-megawatt Pelican Point Power Station, where one unit has recently been converted to an open-cycle turbine to enable faster start-up and ramping, improving the asset’s responsiveness and resilience.
Engie Australia managing director of renewables and batteries, Laura Caspari, said co-locating big batteries with existing or former thermal power sites is central to accelerating Australia’s energy transition.
“Developing BESS projects at our sites leverages existing infrastructure, minimises environmental impacts, and ensures we can deliver reliable, flexible energy solutions at speed. This supports the rapid integration of renewables and creates future-ready energy hubs,” she said.
The battery is expected to be commissioned in the second half of 2027 and, once operational, will be capable of storing and discharging enough electricity to power more than 29,400 average South Australian homes.