UPDATED 1 Sept: The EI library in London is temporarily closed to the public, as a precautionary measure in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation. The Knowledge Service will still be answering email queries via email , or via live chats during working hours (09:15-17:00 GMT). Our e-library is always open for members here: eLibrary , for full-text access to over 200 e-books and millions of articles. Thank you for your patience.
New Energy World™
New Energy World™ embraces the whole energy industry as it connects and converges to address the decarbonisation challenge. It covers progress being made across the industry, from the dynamics under way to reduce emissions in oil and gas, through improvements to the efficiency of energy conversion and use, to cutting-edge initiatives in renewable and low-carbon technologies.
EBRD invests $229.4mn for BESS in Uzbekistan; funding for Australian battery roll-out announced
10/7/2024
News
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is to loan more than $200mn to a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Uzbekistan. There are also developments for Chile’s BESS del Desierto project, Australia’s community battery roll out and Galp’s first storage project in Portugal.
Funding secured for Uzbek BESS and solar power plant
The EBRD is to provide up to $229.4mn to Saudi’s ACWA Power to develop a 500 MWh BESS and a 200 MW solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant in Uzbekistan, reportedly the biggest such project in Central Asia.
Due to be built in the eastern Tashkent region, the plants will be owned by ACWA Power’s special-purpose company ACWA Power Riverside Solar. The projects form part of Uzbekistan’s professed target of developing 25 GW of solar and wind generation capacity by 2030.
The financing will consist of an A-loan of up to $183.5mn for the EBRD’s account and a B-loan of up to $40.5mn to be syndicated to commercial co-financiers.
Once finished, the solar power project is expected to generate up to 418 GWh/y.
Chile’s biggest large-scale standalone energy storage plant
Sungrow has signed an agreement with Atlas Renewable Energy to use its liquid cooling storage system – ‘PowerTitan’ – for the 200 MW/880 MWh BESS del Desierto project in Chile’s Atacama Desert.
Atlas forecasts that BESS del Desierto will feed approximately 280 GWh/y of additional electricity into the grid, with the aim to help alleviate curtailment in Northern Chile, enhance regional energy reliability and contribute to achieving Chile’s goal of 100% clean energy by 2050.
The Atacama Desert presents harsh conditions, including heavy dust and extreme temperature fluctuations exceeding 30°C. According to Sungrow, PowerTitan boasts C5 corrosion resistance, IP65 protection against wind and sand, intelligent liquid cooling, and a smart operation and maintenance system, to ensure optimal temperature control and stability.
ARENA funds national community battery roll-out
The Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) has conditionally approved up to $143mn to support the roll-out of up to 370 electricity storage systems across Australia under its Community Battery Funding Round 1.
All states, and The Northern Territory, are expected to benefit from the programme, unlocking an expected $359mn of investment in renewable energy infrastructure.
According to ARENA, Round 1 received a strong response, with 140 eligible expressions of interest received. Funding has now been conditionally allocated to 21 applications. The batteries will have an aggregated storage capacity of up to 281 MWh.
A second round of community battery funding is expected to launch in late 2024, with a funding allocation of at least $28mn.
Galp and Powin to build large-scale energy storage system in Portugal
Energy storage platform provider Powin and Portugal’s Galp have partnered to install a utility-scale BESS at one of Galp’s solar power plants near Alcoutim, in the Algarve, where the company operates several projects with a combined capacity of 144 MW.
This 5 MW/20 MWh battery system is Galp’s first move in the hybridisation of its solar power production portfolio – thought to be one of Iberia’s biggest at close to 1.5 GW in operation. Alcoutim will be Powin’s first project in Europe.
