South Australia approves first 900-MWh BESS under new HRE Act

• Potentia Energy’s 900-MWh battery is the first approved under South Australia’s Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act, unlocking more headroom for solar on the grid.

South Australia has cleared a 900-MWh battery project—the first to secure approval under the state’s new Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act (HRE Act). Developed by Potentia Energy, the site will provide multi-hour shifting and fast response services that smooth the state’s rising solar output. The HRE Act streamlines approvals for large clean-energy projects, and this inaugural decision sets a precedent for hybrids and storage that will anchor more PV on the network.

Why it matters for solar: SA routinely sees daytime net demand plunge as rooftops and utility-scale PV flood the system, forcing curtailment and export constraints. Longer-duration batteries can soak up excess noon energy and deliver it when the sun sets, while grid-forming inverters bolster system strength during low-inertia periods. As planners open new tenders under the federal Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), projects that pair storage with PV will have a smoother path to connection and revenue certainty.

With the first HRE Act approval in hand, developers will watch technical conditions attached to the permit—fault ride-through settings, reactive power obligations, and grid-support functions—which often become templates for subsequent builds. If execution is steady, SA’s battery fleet will expand in lockstep with solar, enhancing reliability as coal exits across the National Electricity Market.