Sungrow installs battery at Australia’s biggest off-grid hybrid renewables system

Sungrow says it has supplied the 17MW/19MWh battery energy storage system for Australia’s largest off-grid renewable power system at a lithium mine in remote Western Australia.

Australian lithium miner Liontown Resources switched on the Kathleen Valley remote microgrid in June after the first three of five 6MW Goldwind wind turbines had been commissioned.

The Zenith Energy project – which also includes a 16MW solar farm, 30 MW of wind capacity, along with 5MW of diesel standby and 27MW of gas generation – was officially opened on October 9 by WA energy minister Reece Whitby.

The solar component of the project had been completed in late 2023, with the fossil fuel-based components brought online earlier this year.

With a combined capacity of 95MW, it is expected the hybrid power system will enable Liontown to operate with a minimum of 60 per cent emissions-free energy.

Announced at the same time as Sungrow signed energy storage supply agreements with two local wholesale distributors, the Chinese company highlighted its role in delivering the Kathleen Valley microgrid.

Sungrow says it supplied a SG350HX string inverter, SC4000UD-MV power conversion system, and a ST2236UX PowerTitan liquid cooling energy storage system.

According to Sungrow, these systems have helped to power the entire site on 100 per cent renewables continuously for at least three and a half days since it was commissioned at the end of June.

“We are proud to collaborate with Zenith Energy and Liontown Resources on this transformative project,” said Joe Zhou, country director of Sungrow Australia.

“By integrating advanced renewable solutions, we are driving the mining industry’s energy transition and demonstrating the power of sustainable innovation in one of Australia’s key economic sectors.”