Australia’s Grid-scale Battery Power Surged By 86% In Q1 2025 As Coal Fades To New Low

Australia’s National Electricity Market (NEM) is witnessing a important displacement successful its power landscape, pinch renewable power sources reaching unprecedented levels while nan readiness of coal-fired powerfulness declines. The latest information comes from nan Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) successful a Quarterly Energy Dynamics Q1 2025 report.

Rooftop star and grid-scale star person some achieved caller output records. This surge successful renewable procreation has contributed to grounds debased levels of coal-fired generation. For nan first time, ember contributed little than 50% of nan NEM’s full generation.

Renewable power supplied a grounds 46% of nan market’s energy during nan quarter. There were instances wherever renewable power reached moreover higher peaks, hitting 75.6% astatine 1 constituent connected November 6th. This important publication from renewables besides drove emissions to grounds debased levels.

“The emergence successful rooftop star output, coupled pinch grounds debased coal-generation availability, resulted successful coal-fired procreation contributing little than 50% of nan NEM’s full procreation for nan first time,” “Renewable power supplied a grounds 46% of nan market’s electricity, peaking astatine 75.6% for a play connected 6 November, driving emissions to grounds debased levels.”

The maturation successful renewable capacity is further underscored by nan expanding number of projects entering nan relationship pipeline. AEMO’s latest Connections Scorecard astatine nan extremity of 2024 showed a pipeline of 49.6GW, a 36% summation year-on-year.

Battery power retention strategy (BESS) projects besides saw important growth, representing 18.1GW of nan full pipeline, a 97% summation compared to nan erstwhile year.

Battery Storage Boom

A important information of nan relationship pipeline is comprised of artillery projects. This highlights nan important domiciled of retention successful supporting nan intermittency of renewable power sources.

Solar Surging

Both rooftop and grid-scale star are contributing importantly to nan accrued renewable output. New records successful star procreation show nan effectiveness of star exertion successful nan Australian climate.

Coal Decline

The study indicates a clear inclination of decreasing reliance connected coal-fired power. Reduced readiness of ember procreation is simply a cardinal facet successful nan accrued stock of renewables successful nan power mix.

While renewable power records were being set, wholesale energy prices successful Q4 2024 averaged A$88 per megawatt hr (MWh). This represents an 83% summation compared to nan aforesaid play successful 2023, but a 26% alteration from nan erstwhile quarter. New South Wales and Queensland knowledgeable nan highest mean prices owed to precocious request and ember procreation unavailability.

New transmission projects presently underway, specified arsenic VNI West, Project EnergyConnect, and HumeLink, are expected to play a captious domiciled successful sharing lower-cost renewable power crossed nan NEM successful nan future.

The 4th besides saw a grounds number of instances of antagonistic prices, occurring 23.1% of nan time, indicating periods wherever renewable power proviso exceeded demand.

You tin publication nan afloat 85-page AEMO study here (PDF)