Herbert Smith Freehills has advised Infigen Energy on contracting for the construction and installation of a new 25MW / 52MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) to be located next to Infigen’s 278.5MW Lake Bonney Wind Farm, near Millicent in South Australia.
Herbert Smith Freehills also advised Infigen on funding agreements with the SA Government and the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to co-fund the approximately A$38 million development. The SA Government and ARENA have each committed A$5 million in grant funding (A$10 million in total).
Once completed, the BESS, which is to begin construction in the coming weeks, is expected to allow Infigen to firm at least an additional 18MW from the existing Lake Bonney Wind Farm for commercial and industrial customers. The BESS is to be built using Tesla Powerpack technology and will effectively allow Infigen to smooth fluctuations in electricity supply from the Lake Bonney Wind Farm. Other benefits of the BESS include providing further stability to the grid through the provision of frequency control ancillary services and fast response services.
The Herbert Smith Freehills team was led by partner Dan Zador, with support from senior associates Coralie Gouldson and Jacques Giuffre, and solicitors Oliver Tod and Salvador Jose.
Mr Zador said, “Utility scale batteries are likely to be an increasingly important part of the energy mix into the future; both generators and network service providers have much to gain from this technology. The Lake Bonney BESS is one of a few early examples of the technology being deployed in Australia, and will provide crucial stability and flexibility to an increasingly complex energy landscape.”
“Infigen have demonstrated that they are leaders in the Australian renewable market with this project and we are delighted to have worked with such a committed team. Herbert Smith Freehills is also proud to continue our close relationship with Infigen, which has grown from strength to strength in recent years.”
This deal is another example of Herbert Smith Freehills’ market-leading work advising on major renewables projects, including advising in relation to the Lal Lal Wind Farm, the establishment of Synergy’s renewable vehicle (including the expansion of Greenough River Solar Farm), Bodangora Wind Farm, Coopers Gap Wind Farm, Willogoleche Wind Farm, the Kennedy Energy Park project, the White Rock Wind Farm and the Gullen Range Wind Farm.
Operating from 27 offices across Asia Pacific, EMEA and North America, Herbert Smith Freehills is at the heart of the new global business landscape providing premium quality, full-service legal advice. The firm provides many of the world’s most important organisations with access to market-leading dispute resolution, projects and transactional legal advice, combined with expertise in a number of global industry sectors, including Banks, Consumer products, Energy, Financial buyers, Infrastructure & Transport, Mining, Pharmaceuticals & Healthcare, Real estate, TMT and Manufacturing & Industrials.
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