Is New Zealand's first large-scale grid battery storage system complete?

Construction of New Zealand’s first large-scale grid battery storage system is now complete, with Meridian Energy’s Ruakākā Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) being officially opened in a ceremony later today.

Who is launching New Zealand's largest battery energy storage system?

WEL Networks and Infratec are proud to announce the launch of New Zealand’s largest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with commissioning underway.

What can New Zealand do to improve energy resilience?

WEL Networks and Infratec said they are actively pursuing other opportunities to enhance resilience and increase access to renewable energy in the region. New Zealand currently has a couple of 1MW battery storage systems in operation, but certainly nothing on the scale of the BESS in Huntly.

Will Infratec build a new energy storage system in New Zealand?

Infratec general manager Nick Bibby said that the storage system is “the first of its scale to be built in New Zealand”. As reported by Energy-Storage.news, the two companies completed their assessment of the project in late 2021, selecting a site in Huntly, a town in the Waikato District.

Is a 35mw/35mwh storage system being built in New Zealand?

The two companies said last Friday (20 October) that their 35MW/35MWh project, in the Waikato region of New Zealand’s Upper North Island, has entered the commissioning phase. Infratec general manager Nick Bibby said that the storage system is “the first of its scale to be built in New Zealand”.

What is WEL Networks & Infratec doing for New Zealand?

WEL Networks and Infratec are pleased to announce that they have entered into major contracts for the supply and build of New Zealand’s largest battery storage facility. The project will play a pivotal role in the reduction of emissions in the Waikato and will support New Zealand’s Net Zero goal of becoming 100% renewable by 2030.