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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.
First large-scale hybrid solar generation and BESS storage project launched in Western Australia
23/4/2025
News
Western Australia’s new Cunderdin hybrid PV solar + BESS (battery energy storage system) project was launched this month, providing four hours of constant supply at peak demand daily and driving the country’s decarbonisation strategy by displacing non-renewable generation.
Commissioning the project will avoid the emission of 140,000 tonnes of CO2 and will generate sufficient energy to power 51,000 homes, says operator Global Power Generation (GPG) – which has been developing renewable projects in Australia for 15 years, where it has installed capacity of more than 1 GW in operation. Claimed to be the region’s first solar hybrid project, ‘it sets a new benchmark for renewable energy’, according to project developer Naturgy Group. GPG is a subsidiary of Naturgy, which employs 500 people worldwide.
The project consists of 229,500 photovoltaic (PV) modules with a solar capacity of 128 MW, combined with a BESS of 55 MW/220 MWh. The facility marks the expansion of GPG’s operations into the country’s South Western Interconnected System (SWIS).
‘It’s great to see the Western Australia government’s energy market reforms underpin innovative projects such as this,’ commented Jai Thomas, Acting Director General, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety.
Wärtsilä also to build solar battery hybrid project in Australia
In other news, Helsinki-based electronics manufacturer Wärtsilä is to supply a 64 MW/128 MWh BESS storage system for Octopus Australia’s Fulham solar battery hybrid project. The Fulham project secured Generator Performance Standards approval in June 2024 and also claims to be one of the first large-scale DC-coupled hybrid battery systems in Australia’s national electricity market.
The project pairs a 128 MWh DC-coupled battery with an 80 MW AC solar energy and storage solution. It highlights a growing trend towards integrating renewable energy and storage to support grid stability, as the use of intermittent solar and wind sources becomes more common.
This is Wärtsilä’s first collaboration with Octopus Australia, a subsidiary of the UK-based Octopus Group. The system offers a streamlined approach to energy management by allowing solar generation to flow directly to the battery through a DC/DC converter, minimising conversion losses when integrating energy storage with solar assets, utilising Wärtsilä’s GEMS power plant controller technology.
The project will be built with the supplier’s Quantum High Energy storage technology, which is claimed to have advanced safety features and enhanced energy density.
