Baranduda Project to deliver Victoria's longest battery

• Aware Super, Birdwood Energy, and Victoria’s SEC partnered to build a 400-megawatt renewable battery system near Wodonga.
• Victoria’s State Electricity Commission is committing up to $43 million for a minority stake and half the facility's output over 15 years.
• The 1.86 gigawatt-hour facility aims to stabilise the power grid as coal stations shut down across Victoria.

Aware Super linked with renewables developer Birdwood Energy and the Victorian State Electricity Commission to build the state’s longest-duration battery, providing 400 megawatts of power and 1.86 gigawatt-hours of energy storage near Wodonga.

The project comes as the state moves to stabilise the regional electricity grid ahead of upcoming coal-fired power station closures.

"Through our offtake deal, the commission will play a critical role in bringing the battery project forward and securing the delivery of the state’s longest duration utility-scale battery," said State Electricity Commission CEO Chris Miller.

Under the agreement, the government-owned commission will provide up to $43 million for an unspecified minority position while securing a 15-year offtake contract for 50% of the project's energy capacity.

The development secured planning approval last year and covers a total project scope expected to cost hundreds of millions of dollars.

Construction on the facility is scheduled to begin in November, with operational startup targeted for late 2028.