Expected ROI of household energy storage project in Australia 2030

How much energy will Australia need by 2030?

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) has forecast that Australia will need 19 GW of energy storage capacity in the grid by 2030. This will more than double to 43 GW by 2040, with over a half of it in home and community batteries (including EV to grid) (AEMO 2023). Battery industries have a long history in Australia.

Are energy storage projects progressing in Australia?

Since the release of the report three years ago, there has been a range of energy storage projects progressed in Australia. For example, in 2017, a large-scale energy storage facility in South Australia was constructed using Tesla’s lithium-ion battery system, with excellent results.

How many large-scale energy storage projects are there in Australia?

The report identifies 55 Australian large-scale energy storage projects which are either existing, planned or proposed. Excluding pumped hydro, these represent over 4 GWh of storage. 9 gigawatts (GW) of capacity have been completed, planned or are in the pipeline. Of those, 19 have been completed and another 36 have reached financial close.

What are Australia's energy storage options?

The then most cost-effective storage options anticipated in 2030 were pumped hydro energy storage (PHES), lithium-ion batteries and zinc bromine batteries. Australia’s abundance of raw materials for batteries and our high level of relevant R&D make energy storage a significant opportunity for industry growth and job creation.

How many Australians are working in energy storage in 2020?

Under the high-growth scenario outlined in this report, more than 35,000 Australians could be working directly or indirectly in the energy storage industry in 2020. Under the low-growth scenario outlined in this report, around 20,000 Australians could be working directly or indirectly in energy storage in 2020.

Is energy storage the next big change in Australia's electricity systems?

Energy storage is seen by many as the next big change required in Australia’s electricity systems. Storage can solve challenges that range from smoothing the intermittency of renewable generation to providing power quality support, and managing peak demand for consumers. For further details, refer to Appendix 1 of the full report.