Vena Energy and EnergyAustralia add 554MW of battery storage
Two major battery energy storage systems in South Australia and Victoria, totaling 554MW, have entered the Australian Energy Market Operator's Market
Vena Energy's Tailem Bend BESS 3 in South Australia and the Wooreen BESS developed by EnergyAustralia and Banpu Energy Australia in Victoria have been registered in the Australian Energy Market Operator's (AEMO) Market Management System. According to data tracker Geoff Eldridge of GPE NEMLog, both units entered the system on September 15, 2026.
Both projects have now received their operational identifiers within AEMO's framework. The Tailem Bend unit is known as TB3B1, while the Wooreen battery is registered as WOORB1. Eldridge clarified that this registration is distinct from full commercial operation but is a necessary procedural step.
Project Specifications
The source provides the following technical and capacity details for the two new battery storage systems.
| Project | Operating Maximum | Registered Capacity | Storage Capacity | Duration | Ramp Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tailem Bend BESS 3 | 204MW | 263MW | 408MWh | 2 hours | 82MW per minute |
| Wooreen BESS | 350MW | 491MW | 1,400MWh | 4 hours | 140MW per minute |
Tailem Bend BESS 3 Extends South Australian Cluster
Tailem Bend BESS 3 is located about 2.5 kilometers southeast of the town of Tailem Bend and roughly 89 kilometers east-southeast of Adelaide. It connects to the National Electricity Market via ElectraNet's nearby Tailem Bend Substation. The standalone battery storage project sits alongside two existing Vena Energy assets at the same site.
Vena Energy, the renewable energy development arm of Singapore's Vena Group, started construction in December 2025. Commissioning is scheduled for 2027. This is the developer's third battery energy storage system project in Australia. It follows the 100MW/150MWh Wandoan South BESS in Queensland.
The project follows Vena Energy's completion of a smaller battery at the same location. In January 2025, the company added a 41.5MW battery to its existing 87MW solar plant at Tailem Bend. This completed what Vena calls its Tailem Bend 2 Hybrid Project, increasing the combined grid output of its two co-located solar plants from 182MW to 223.5MW. South Australia sources approximately 75% of its annual electricity from wind and solar and is targeting 100% net renewable energy by the end of 2027.
Wooreen BESS Advances as Coal Replacement
The Wooreen BESS is being developed at Hazelwood North in Victoria's Latrobe Valley. The site is adjacent to EnergyAustralia's existing Jeeralang Power Station and about 138 kilometers east-southeast of Melbourne. This places it within a growing cluster of storage and network infrastructure across the Gippsland region.
EnergyAustralia, an Australian energy generator-retailer, reached financial close on the project in February 2025 and began construction days later. The battery storage system is designed to enter service before the retirement of EnergyAustralia's 1,450MW Yallourn coal-fired power station, which is scheduled for mid-2028.
In July 2025, EnergyAustralia sold a 50% share in the project to Thailand-based Banpu Public Company, which trades in Australia as Banpu Energy Australia. The deal was worth around AU$700 million (US$490 million).
Finnish technology group Wärtsilä was contracted to supply the battery hardware, engineering, commissioning, and a 15-year service agreement. The company is using its Quantum High Energy units and GEMS Digital Energy Platform. Wärtsilä completed delivery and installation of all 1,038 Quantum units at the site in July 2026. The system is designed to operate in grid-forming mode to provide synthetic inertia as coal-fired generation retires from the Victorian grid.
Zenviron, a joint venture between engineering group Monadelphous and renewable energy developer ZEM Energy, was awarded the balance-of-plant contract in February 2025. This contract covers design, construction, installation, and commissioning. Tilt Renewables is the project's developer, and commercial operations for Wooreen are targeted for 2027.
