1390MW! Australia’s Victoria state accelerates approval process for deployment of four energy storage projects

According to foreign media reports, the government of Victoria, Australia, has approved four energy project applications through its "Development Promotion Plan" (DFP), with a total investment of 2.4 billion Australian dollars (approximately 1.71 billion US dollars), including a 1390MW battery energy storage system.

This approved project includes three independently deployed battery energy storage systems and a wind power + energy storage project. Since the plan was expanded to the renewable energy sector two years ago, the cumulative value of energy projects accelerated for approval through the development promotion program has exceeded 11 billion Australian dollars, and the total number of projects has exceeded 30.

Among the four projects, the largest one is the Morwell battery energy storage system located in the Latrobe Valley. With an investment of 1.3 billion Australian dollars, it was developed by TagEnergy. In mid-2025, TagEnergy acquired this project from the local Australian developer Ace Power. The project has a capacity of 1000MW/4000MWh and a duration of 4 hours. It will be connected to the 500kV Hazelwood substation near Morwell.

Meanwhile, the Nine Mile Energy Park battery energy storage project, jointly developed by Pacific Green Company and Green Switch Energy Company, is located near Geelong and has an investment of 600 million Australian dollars. It will be constructed in two phases. The facility consists of two co-located battery energy storage systems: the first phase will have a capacity of 250MW/500MWh, and the second phase will expand to 4 hours (i.e., 1000MWh). The project is expected to start construction as early as the end of 2026, depending on the approval of grid connection, procurement, and project financing.

The Gelliondale wind power plant located in Gippsland has an investment of 388 million Australian dollars. It was developed by Synergy Wind and received support from a group of German investors. The project consists of 13 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 80 MW, and is also equipped with a 40 MW battery energy storage system (the duration is not disclosed). This project is expected to provide approximately 300,000 MWh of renewable energy electricity annually to this region of Victoria, which is known for mining, power generation and agriculture.

The last approved project is the Chivers Road battery energy storage system planned to be deployed in Glenrowan. The investment amount is 130 million Australian dollars and it was developed by Pacific Partnerships. As a user-side energy storage system, this project will be connected to the already operational 130MW Glenrowan solar power plant. This 100MW battery energy storage system will be located within the development area of the existing solar power plant, covering approximately 2.7 hectares. Its design aims to store and schedule the electricity from the solar power plant to support the stable operation of the power grid.

It is worth noting that this is the second large-scale battery energy storage system approved by the Development and Deployment Program (DFP) in the Glenrowan region in recent months. In February 2026, the 400MW/1600MWh Glenrowan battery energy storage project developed by renewable energy developer Akaysha Energy in collaboration with BZ Renewables was also approved by the DFP. Last month, Akaysha Energy's project passed the review of the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).

Sonya Kilkenny, the planning minister of Victoria, stated that the Development Facilitation Program (DFP) is designed to speed up decision-making processes without compromising on the rigor of evaluations. She said, "We are making better decisions more quickly so that the people of Victoria can have access to cheaper renewable energy earlier."

Victoria's Minister for Energy and Resources, Lily D'Ambrosio, added that these projects will strengthen the state's energy supply and reduce wholesale electricity prices.

The effectiveness of the Development Promotion Program (DFP) and the approved projects

The establishment of the Development Facilitation Program (DFP) aims to address the structural bottlenecks in the planning system of Victoria. Before the launch of this program, more than one fifth of energy project applications were delayed at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). This judicial process prolonged the project delivery period by several years without resulting in better planning outcomes.

By allowing eligible projects to bypass the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT), the Development Facilitation Program (DFP) has significantly shortened the approval process while retaining the requirements for institutional referrals, community consultation, and planning assessment.

The project reserves of this plan have been continuously recorded throughout a series of approval rounds. In November 2025, the Victorian government approved the 300MW/1200MWh Tramway Road battery energy storage project of Eku Energy in Gippsland, as well as the Meadow Creek solar power plant (including a 332MW photovoltaic power station and a 250MW/1000MWh battery system). These two investments total approximately 1.2 billion Australian dollars and create over 650 construction jobs.

In early February 2026, the Victorian state government approved the 1600MWh Glenrowan battery energy storage project planned by Akaysha Energy Company, as well as the 300MW/1140MWh battery energy storage system planned by Atmos Renewables to be deployed in Heywood.