Tesla Batteries Grid Connected with NOJA Power GMK

Electrical engineering firm NOJA Power today celebrate the completed construction of the Black River Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), designed by Australian engineering consultants Yurika.

The Battery Energy Storage equipment, 5 MW of Tesla batteries, were connected to the medium voltage distribution grid through a NOJA Power GMK Ground Mount Kiosk Circuit Breaker.

The Black River BESS is among the first distribution grid scale battery storage systems. This system improves the networks’ ability to integrate more renewable energy by improving system strength for “asynchronous generation” such as solar power.

“As the world targets net carbon zero by 2050, a large amount of storage will be required at all levels of the grid,” says NOJA Power Group Managing Director Neil O’Sullivan.

“This BESS system where our GMK product provides the direct connection to the medium voltage grid is a great example of the type of systems that will ultimately be rolled out globally.”

This BESS installation is the first in a large program of works throughout the Australian state of Queensland, where it is expected future significant rollout of BESSs connecting the distribution network will be occurring over the coming years. This increase in storage capacity supports grid stability under high renewable penetration, where engineers report Queensland rooftop solar already exceeds base load coal generation in the middle of the day.