Ensure reliable supply to the Town Of Broken Hill

Deliver backup electrical capacity for Broken Hill ensuring the lights stay on and the mining infrastructure continues to operate in the event of transmission line failure. A-CAES can also improve the reliability of supply to Broken Hill by maximizing the use of existing renewables in the region, without the need to import and store large quantities of diesel fuel.

Delivering transmission system value

Maximize the efficient use of existing transmission lines with benefits for the consumer and for generators across Western NSW and Victoria. Today, the transmission lines that transports the electricity generated in the Western areas of NSW and Victoria to major demand centre’s such as Sydney and Melbourne often reach their maximum safe capacity when renewable output is at its peak.

This leads to higher line loses and forces local renewable production to be scaled back or shut down entirely, preventing these facilities from realizing their full economic and environmental potential. Traditionally, this problem is solved by the construction of expensive new transmission lines that are unsightly, prone to impacts from severe weather and can take years to gain environmental and stakeholder consent.

Silver City will instead solve this problem at much lower cost to the consumer by storing excess renewable electricity when transmission capacity is constrained and then sending that electricity down the same lines later in the day when capacity is available.

Offers low-cost expansion options

Options to cost-effectively expand either storage duration (i.e. MWhs of storage) or capacity (i.e. MWs of capacity) post-construction, allowing for low-cost, easy to deliver, future adjustment of the Centre’s configuration as market and grid needs continue to evolve.

Achieving environmental objectives

Deploy technology that achieves emissions-free operation to support Australia’s objective of reducing carbon emissions to 26-28% below 2005 levels by 2030 in addition to Broken Hill’s local goal of achieving 100% renewable energy supply by 2030. Also avoids the burning and transportation of large amounts of diesel fuel that supplies the current reliability solution for Broken Hill.

Minimal land and water requirements

Provide the equivalent bulk energy storage capabilities as pumped hydro with substantially lower land and water requirements, while repurposing existing mining infrastructure that would otherwise be retired.

Facilitating delivery of renewables

Deliver on-demand electricity when the grid needs it by storing and dispatching renewable energy generated in Western NSW and Western Victoria. The Centre will unlock the region’s renewable potential by relieving the pressure on the existing overloaded electrical transmission system. This will reduce line losses and curtailment of existing renewable facilities and allow new renewable projects to come online in the region.