The Future Battery Industries Cooperative Research Centre (FBICRC) has announced the installation of Australia’s first sodium-sulfur NAS® battery at the IGO Nova nickel-copper-cobalt mine site. Long-duration energy storage will be provided by this Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) demonstration unit, which has a capacity of 250 kW/1.45 MWh.
The NAS® battery technology has been successfully installed and operated at more than 250 sites worldwide over the past 20 years, aggregating to a storage capacity of approximately 5.0 GWh.
The performance of the BASF NAS battery at IGO Nova will be assessed by the National Battery Testing Centre and the University of Western Australia. The battery is fully installed and has been in operation since mid-February 2023.
The installation of NAS® battery technology in Australia is expected to accelerate the clean energy future of the country. IGO’s Acting CEO said that the NAS battery trial at the Nova Operation will help field-test the suitability of this unique technology in a mining environment and contribute to a clean energy future.
BASF has committed to net-zero emissions by 2050, and the company will work with developers and end-users to provide batteries to support decarbonization, electrification, grid stability, and large-scale renewable energy integration.
Source: Announcement
Image Source: FBICRC