AGL acquires Yadnarie solar and long duration energy storage project

AGL today announced the acquisition of the Yadnarie solar and long duration energy storage project from Photon Energy. The Yadnarie project, which will be based on RayGen’s PV Ultra and Thermal Hydro technology, is located near Cleve on the Eyre Peninsula in South Australia.

The project provides AGL a development option over two stages with up to 150 MW of solar capacity, 90 MW of thermal energy capacity and 720 MWh (8-hours) of energy storage.

AGL GM Power Development, Travis Hughes, said AGL continued to add long duration storage options to AGL’s development pipeline as it works toward the company’s ambition of adding 12 GW of new renewables and firming by 2035.

“This project incorporates RayGen’s innovative solar-and-storage system technology as one potential solution to the need for long duration energy storage,” he said.

“AGL has long been an early supporter and adopter of innovative energy solutions like RayGen’s, and this development has the potential to be a reliable and affordable solution to the challenges of long duration energy storage as Australia transitions to a renewable energy system”

This project builds on AGL’s relationship with RayGen, both as an investor in RayGen and through an offtake agreement for production from RayGen’s Carwarp Power Plant.

The RayGen system uses mirrors to concentrate sunlight onto Australian-made, highly efficient solar modules. In addition to producing electricity, heat is captured from the modules and stored in water reservoirs for on-demand electricity dispatch.