FRV Australia launches its first solar-storage facility in Queensland

The combination of the two energy assets helps the site stabilize the national grid. Excess energy generated by the photovoltaic plant is captured and stored in the BESS in case of an increase in demand.

The engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor for the project was the Spanish company Gransolar.

Christopher Curtain, senior managing director for Asia Pacific at OMERS Infrastructure, a Canadian infrastructure fund that holds a stake in FRV, said Dalby’s connection to the grid was “another major milestone for FRV Australia” and that the organisation “will leverage this learning to continue to grow FRV’s Australian portfolio”.

Australian market sees growth in solar-storage projects

Solutions combining solar power and energy storage are becoming increasingly popular in the Australian market.

In May 2024, the Australian Government approved an 800 MW solar-plus-storage project to be developed by SkyLab in southern Queensland. While the Australian Government has stated that the Punchs Creek Solar Farm battery energy storage system (BESS) has a power output of 250 MW, it could actually have a power output of 200 MW and a storage capacity of 250 MWh, according to Energy-Storage.news.

In late June, clean energy investor Octopus Investments Australia revealed it had secured Generator Performance Standards (GPS) approval for an 80 MW solar-storage project in Victoria.

The Fulham Hybrid Battery project, part of the Connections Reform Initiative and delivered in partnership with AEMO and Australian energy supply company AusNet, is one of the first DC-coupled battery energy storage projects to receive such approval and will have a capacity of 128MWh.

In the same week, Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Services signed a long-term contract to secure green power from the 243MWp Maryvale solar-storage project under the fourth tender under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Development Plan.

The Maryvale solar and storage project, located near Dubbo, being developed by Gentari Renewables Australia, will consist of approximately 172MW of solar PV installations linked to a 372MWh battery energy storage (BESS).