The City of Casey is pleased to welcome a utility-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) being developed in Cranbourne West through a partnership between Macquarie Asset Management's Green Investment Group (GIG) and Shell Energy.

Through Council’s Environment Strategy and the recently adopted Climate Action Plan, the City of Casey is committed to supporting initiatives that will enable Casey’s community to transition towards net zero emissions by 2040. The major carbon emissions source for our community is electricity, with the majority of this coming from residential electricity consumption. Sourcing electricity from renewable sources is critical to reducing emissions.

The 200MW / 400MWh BESS project, to be built on two hectares of land within the Rangebank Business Park in Melbourne's southeast, will have the storage capacity to power the equivalent of 80,000 homes across Victoria for an hour during peak periods. Once fully operational, the project will increase Victoria's renewable energy hosting capacity and contribute to the state's decarbonisation efforts.

The Rangebank BESS project is a significant addition to the municipality’s infrastructure, providing essential system services aiming to support the safe, secure, and reliable operation of Australia's power system.

The project is an example of the impact of the private sector's commitment to accelerate the energy transition and to contribute to the growth of firming capacity. The initiative can unlock the benefits of battery energy storage systems for end energy users. Shell Energy, through an offtake agreement, will have access to 100% of the battery's offtake over a 20-year period, providing energy consumers in Victoria with improved reliability of electricity supply.

The Rangebank BESS will be built, serviced, and maintained by Fluence, a global provider of energy storage products and services, utilising Fluence's latest Gridstack product. GIG and Shell Energy will continue to engage with local stakeholders as the project progresses.

The City of Casey recognises the importance of renewable energy and the crucial role it plays in combating climate change. The Rangebank BESS project aligns with the city's strategic goals of promoting sustainability and developing essential infrastructure to meet the growing energy demands of the community. The project's location within the Rangebank Business Park is also expected to attract potential investors, creating new opportunities for the city's economic growth.

We look forward to the completion of the project in late 2024 as it marks a significant milestone in Casey’s journey towards a sustainable future.