AGL targets 1.2 GW of brand-new battery storage space by 2024, plans tender

• AGL Energy has set an objective of installing 1,200 MW of new battery storage space as well as need response capacity by 2024, and is connecting the perks for executives and also senior administration to hit growth targets for the company's clean energy and storage space portfolio.

The brand-new targets were revealed by AGL Energy throughout the company's earnings require the 2019-20 fiscal year, with the firm highlighting its initiatives to diversify its power profile right into tidy energy innovations, as the company reported a lower profit as revenues from its coal generators took a hit.

" Although power prices are lower, we still see an opportunity to spend as the structure of the portfolio changes far from coal in the direction of the new firmed renewable energy generation the marketplace will certainly need," AGL chief running police officer Markus Brokhof claimed.

" AGL's strategy is to optimize dispatchable generation, assistance investment in firmed renewables as well as continue to purchase the speeding up emergence of batteries as well as other energy storage space technologies."

Despite the interruptions being caused by Covid-19, AGL stated that it was aiming to increase its portfolio of tidy power projects, specifically storage space capability, and also is targeting approximately 850MW of grid range battery storage space, along with 350MW of distributed storage and also demand reaction capability by 2024.

This represents an enormous development of AGL's storage capacity, which presently includes just 30MW of large-scale storage space (the Dalrymple battery in South Australia) and also 72MW of dispersed energy resources (mainly with the South Australia battery effort), with AGL set to seek proposals from the marketplace for the shipment of the massive storage space projects.

" In reality, we are presently inviting tenders to acquire integrated battery systems, which can please the whole grid range storage target. Our team believe battery modern technology is now at a degree that permits AGL to lead Australia's shift to a smarter and much more effective power future," Brokhof added.

AGL is presently proceeding plans to add battery storage capability to a number of its existing procedures, including a 100MW/150MWh battery readied to come with the enormous Wandoan solar ranch in Queensland, along with a series of large battery storage space completing 200MW/400MWh, including one battery to be built along with the postponed Sunraysia solar ranch in collaboration with Maoneng.

AGL's papers recommended that it was still taking into consideration plans for a large 50MW battery in Broken Hill, where AGL currently operates a 53MW solar farm as well as the 200MW Silverton wind farm, however it is most likely get squeezed out by a Transgrid preference for the globe's largest compressed-air storage facility to produce among the globe's biggest renewable energy micro-grids.

A battery for the site of the Liddell coal generator, set up for closure by 2023 regardless of the jaw-boning efforts of the federal government, is likewise included.

In its revenues update, AGL also verified that it was going for 34 percent of its electrical power generation portfolio to be sourced from renewable resource and energy storage technologies by 2024, an increase from its present levels of 22 per cent.

Nonetheless, as detailed in the business's incomes presentation, the increase in AGL's share of renewable energy generation is likely to be driven mainly by the closure of the Liddell coal-fired power station, expected in 2023, as opposed to a significant increase in currently devoted renewables generation, although it hasn't ruled out additionally agreements with renewable tasks.

Significantly, the targets will certainly create part of AGL's elderly administration reward plan, which tie rewards and pay boosts to the effective growth of AGL's tidy energy portfolio.

" Consistent with our climate statement, our goal is for 34 percent of AGL's electricity capacity to come from renewables and clean storage, compared to 22 percent today," AGL CEO Brett Redman said.

" And our objective is 20 percent of team profits from tidy energy or carbon neutral items, compared to 11 percent today. In both instances the target reflects a max vesting end result for our brand-new long term motivation metrics."

AGL reported a fall in hidden earnings for the 2019-20 year, which dropped 22 percent to $816 million, pointing out failures at the Loy Yang power station and also dropping wholesale electrical energy prices for reduced revenues. Their advice for 2021 has plunged to $500 million, setting off a sharp fall in their share rate on Thursday.

A leisure of overall electrical energy supply restraints, and a minor fall in electrical energy demand because of the effects of Covid-19 has actually seen wholesale electrical power prices are up to several of their lowest levels in several years, and has actually had flow on influences for incomes for generators.

Adding to the lowered profit, AGL suffered a failure in a system at the Loy Yang power plant in May in 2015, which stayed offline for nearly all of the remainder of 2019, as well as was accountable for a $100 million decrease in AGL profits.