The funding has been secured through the Federal Government’s Advanced Electricity Storage Technologies (AEST) program.

Developing better ways of storing electricity generated from renewable energy sources, so that it is available continuously, will help expand opportunities for the effective use of renewables.

The five projects awarded funding are:

Wizard Power in South Australia: $7.4 million to demonstrate a solar energy storage system based on ammonia dissociation into hydrogen and nitrogen. Four 400 sq m solar dishes will be installed near Whyalla to concentrate sunlight and provide the heat required to split ammonia into nitrogen and hydrogen for storage. When power is required, the gases are recombined which gives off heat to boil water and generate electricity through a steam turbine.

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Lloyd Energy Systems in NSW: $5 million to demonstrate a solar energy storage system using graphite blocks. A high concentration tower solar array will be installed at their factory site in Cooma and, once proven, a 16-tower solar array system will be built at Lake Cargelligo in western NSW providing valuable network support for this regional area.

ZBB Technologies in NSW: $3.1 million to demonstrate an integrated 500 kWh zinc-bromine battery at CSIRO’s National Solar Energy Centre at Newcastle.

Pinnacle VRB in Western Australia: $1.8 million for demonstration of vanadium-redox batteries with PV solar panels and wind turbines at the remote fishing community of Windy Harbour in WA.

V-Fuel in NSW: $260,000 for demonstrating innovative vanadium-flow batteries with PV solar panels and a wind turbine on Cockatoo Island and the Environmental Research Institute for Art at Homebush in Sydney.

“Demonstrating new renewable energy storage technologies in grid-connected and remote area power supply applications will give Australia a strong base on which to grow its own industry and expand opportunities overseas,” said Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Electricity storage is an issue faced by all renewable energy generators worldwide and Australian experience in and demonstration of these technologies will be of benefit to developing and developed countries.

The projects will help to develop new ways of meeting Australia’s growing demand for electricity, while also helping to address the environmental challenges of climate change.

“The renewable energy industry understands the strategic importance of improving electricity storage technologies. They are prepared to take action and the program will see a total of more than $36 million invested,” said Federal Industry Minister Ian Macfarlane.

The AEST is part of the Federal Government’s more than $2 billion strategy to address climate change. The program identifies and promotes strategically important, innovative, advanced energy storage technologies that will increase the ability of renewable generation to contribute to Australia’s electricity supply system.