Ashurst has advised leading renewable energy company Edify Energy and the project consortium on the development of a battery storage system to be connected to the large-scale Gannawarra Solar Farm in Victoria (the Gannawarra Energy Storage System), which upon completion will be one of the largest integrated solar and battery facilities in the world (and the largest in Australia).

Supported by the Victorian Government's Energy Storage Initiative, the Gannawarra Energy Storage System integrates a 25MW/50MWh Tesla Powerpack battery with the 50MW Gannawarra Solar Farm in order to enhance the security and reliability of electricity to the grid in Victoria. 
 
The financing was underpinned by a long-term agreement with EnergyAustralia, who will operate the battery facility in conjunction with its offtake from the Gannawarra Solar Farm. This is a first-of-its-kind long-term commercial services agreement with EnergyAustralia, which provides a bankable commercial model for future retrofit and combined renewable and storage facilities.
 
Together with the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Victorian Government Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning is also supporting the project with A$25 million in grant funding.
 
The Gannawarra Energy Storage System was developed by Edify Energy and was equity financed by Edify Energy and its equity partner, Wirsol Energy.
 
The timing of the announcement of this project coincides with the Gannawarra Solar Farm providing its first electricity into the grid, which is another milestone for Victorian electricity consumers.
 
Ashurst lead partner Paul Newman (Utilities) commented: "We are proud to continue to support Edify Energy's growth in the renewables sector and to assist in establishing this ground breaking project. It will pioneer a new era of integrated renewable and energy storage facilities."
 
The firm advised on all aspects of the Gannawarra Energy Storage System including the project and regulatory structuring arrangements, the battery sale and purchase agreement and associated warranty and servicing regimes; the construction, operation and maintenance of balance of plant systems; and the long-term offtake and operational arrangements with EnergyAustralia.
 
Paul was assisted by partner Tanya Denning, counsel Teresa Scott, senior associate Dale Gill and lawyers Tristan Shepherd, Tim Rankin and Eliza Brierley (Corporate Projects – Utilities); partner Mark Disney, senior associates Laura van den Berg and Melissa Molloy with lawyer Craig Sherritt (Infrastructure); senior associate Carol Kahler and lawyer Michelle Tesch (Real Estate); and counsel Emma Butler and senior associate Caroline Hogan (IP).
 
Edify Energy’s CEO John Cole is excited by what this project represents for the renewable energy sector: “We are very proud to have designed and financed the first combined utility-scale solar and storage facility in Victoria. It is unprecedented in Australia at this scale and is among the largest in the world.  The team has worked tirelessly to overcome many regulatory, technical and commercial challenges and this could not been achieved without the thought leadership that Paul Newman and his team provided on the many regulatory issues that needed to be resolved to bring this first-of-its-kind project to reality.  Without a doubt as the cost of battery storage falls, we see solar and storage becoming a ‘category killer’ in the energy sector and accelerating Australia’s transition to a clean energy future”
 
Ashurst has previously advised Edify Energy on the development and financing of five large-scale solar farms: the Whitsunday, Hamilton, Daydream and Hayman Solar Farms in Queensland, and the Gannawarra Solar Farm in Victoria, representing a combined 440MWp of renewable energy capacity in the National Electricity Market.