Singapore-based renewable energy developer, Equis Development, has rebranded and relaunched its battery energy storage system (BESS) worth AUD1.28 billion in Melbourne, Australia.
The firm has acquired 100 per cent stake in the Melton Renewable Energy Hub (MREH) from Syncline Energy, with which it is jointly developing the BESS project. The BESS was initially intended as a 600 MW/2,400 MWh project when it was first announced in August 2021. It has since been rebranded as MREH. The project has also been resized to have 1.2 GW of battery capacity. However, its storage capacity will remain at 2,400 MWh. It will be constructed in two phases, each with a 600 MW capacity. The first stage of development is expected to start early 2023 and be finished by 2024. MREH will be linked to the 500 kV high-voltage transmission network of the National Electricity Market (NEM). The project will be able to support 1.6 GW of solar energy production or 1.2 GW of wind energy. Once completed, MREH will be the only BESS in the nation with a capacity more than 200 MW, making it one of the biggest BESS facilities in Australia and Asia. All required permissions for the project’s planning, environmental impact, and community impact assessments have been obtained.