• FRV Australia’s BESS project will be built in Gnarwarre, Victoria and will accelerate the clean energy transition in Australia.
  • The project will be FRV Australia’s largest standalone battery project in the country.
  • The project is a lithium-ion battery energy storage system using grid-forming inverters.

Leading developer of sustainable energy solutions, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Australia (FRV), part of Abdul Latif Jameel Energy, and Canadian infrastructure fund OMERS, announced plans to install a 250MW lithium-ion battery energy storage system (BESS) using innovative grid forming inverters in Gnarwarre, Victoria.  The plan follows an announcement made by the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) that Gnarwarre BESS will receive conditional funding under the Large-Scale Battery Storage Round, which was launched at the end of 2021.

The project will be FRV Australia’s largest standalone battery project in the country. Once under construction, it is expected to provide up to 50 jobs, providing a positive impact on the local economy.

Earlier this year, FRV Australia received support for another large BESS project in Victoria. The Terang project, with a capacity 100MW, received USD $4.5 million (7 million Australian dollars) investment under Round 2 of the Energy Innovation Fund (EIF).

The grid-forming inverter technology will provide essential system stability services traditionally provided by synchronous generation such coal and gas. The Gnarwarre BESS will contribute to FRV Australia’s solar and battery portfolio expansion, in line with its mission to support the country’s clean energy mandate. FRV has delivered almost 800 MWdc of operational photovoltaic (PV) assets across nine projects in Australia for a total project investment value of approximately 700 million USD (one billion Australian dollars).

Fady Jameel, Deputy President and Vice Chairman, Abdul Latif Jameel, said:

“Australia continues to be a key and promising market for renewable energy investments. This project illustrates how battery energy storage is an increasingly viable option towards a more sustainable future for all, which we are proud to be leading in. Implementing such a large-scale project is a testament to our commitment to delivering clean energy solutions on a global scale, and we are delighted to take part in the country’s ongoing sustainable energy transformation.”

FRV Australia CEO Carlo Frigerio said:

“We are honored to be selected by ARENA in this Large-Scale Battery Storage Round. This brings back good memories of almost a decade ago when FRV received support from ARENA to build the 56MW Moree solar farm which is one of the first operating large-scale solar farms in the country. Since then, we continued to play a key role in the country’s renewable energy transition”.  

The Large-Scale Battery Storage Round was launched in December 2021 with an initial funding envelope of USD $68.5 million (100 million Australian dollars), which was then expanded by the Australian Government later in the year.

ARENA CEO Darren Miller added:

“Battery storage is an essential technology in the transition to renewable energy, allowing us smooth out variable generation and store electricity for when it’s needed”.