Capital Battery
100MW / 200MWh

​The Challenge: Firming Renewables and Enhancing Grid Stability

The ACT is a world-recognized leader in renewable energy adoption. However, this rapid transition introduced challenges common to high-renewables grids:

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• Managing intermittency from solar and wind generation

• Mitigating voltage and frequency fluctuations in periods of high demand or low generation.

• Avoiding blackouts during extreme heat events or generation shortfalls.

• Enabling new commercial models that broaden participation in renewable energy investment.

 

Neoen sought to develop a grid-scale battery that could deliver real-time stability, enable energy arbitrage, and open new pathways for community co-investment in renewable infrastructure.

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​Doosan GridTech's Solution

Neoen awarded the EPC contract for the 100MW / 200MWh Capital Battery to a consortium comprising of Doosan GridTech and its parent company Doosan Enerbility. The consortium also manages the 20-year operations and maintenance program.

 

Core Solution Elements

• System Design:

  • 100MW / 200MWh CATL lithium-ion batteries paired with Power Electronics inverters, arranged in outdoor weatherproof cabinets across a 2-hectare site.

  • Built to operate for 20+ years with over 60% recyclability of materials at end of life.

• Control and Integration:

  • Managed by the Doosan GridTech Intelligent Controller® (DG-IC®), an advanced power-plant controller that ensures safe, reliable, and responsive dispatch.

  • Capable of providing frequency control ancillary services (FCAS), voltage regulation, and energy arbitrage through rapid charging and discharging cycles.

• Commercial Innovation:

  • Features a Virtual Battery Agreement with AGL Energy, enabling AGL to virtually charge and discharge up to 70MW of capacity for seven years, one of the first large-scale “virtual storage” contacts in the National Electricity Market (NEM).

  • Includes a community co-investment scheme, offering ACT residents an opportunity to invest in and benefit from the project’s returns, a first of its kind model for battery storage.

• Construction and Operations:

  • Designed for minimal environmental and visual impact, utilizing a low-profile modular layout and dust-suppression measures during construction.

  • Managed from Neoen’s 24/7 Operations Control Center, which oversees all Neoen assets across the NEM.

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Outcomes and Impact

The Capital Battery delivers measurable value for the ACT, the NEM, and Neoen’s stakeholders:

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• Grid Reliability: Delivers rapid frequency and voltage support, helping prevent blackouts during periods of high demand or generator failure.

• Renewable Firming: Smooths output from solar and wind generation, allowing greater penetration of renewables in the ACT grid.

• Market Efficiency: Increases competition in ancillary service markets, helping reduce electricity costs for consumers.

• Commercial Innovation: Pioneers new financing and virtual battery models that broaden market access for retailers and investors.

• Local Economic Impact: Created construction and maintenance opportunities for local contractors and technical specialists in Canberra.

• Environmental Stewardship: Reduces the reliance on fossil-fuel peaking plants and supports the ACT’s net-zero 2045 pathway.

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​Why This Project Matters

The Capital Battery demonstrates the growing maturity of Australia’s battery storage sector, technically, commercially, and socially. It delivers measurable benefits to the grid and consumers while proving that large-scale batteries can attract community investment and enable virtual participation in the energy transition.

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By combining Doosan GridTech’s proven controls with Neoen’s vision for community-centered clean energy, the Capital Battery sets a new benchmark for flexible, inclusive, and resilient grid infrastructure in the National Electricity Market.

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About the Client

Neoen is one of the world’s leading independent producers of renewable energy, operating across 15 countries with over 8 GW of capacity in operation or under construction. In Australia, Neoen has become a key player in the energy transition, with flagship projects such as the Hornsdale Power Reserve, Bulgana Green Power Hub, and the Capital Battery in Canberra.

 

As a long-term partner in the Australian Capital Territory’s (ACT) clean energy goals, Neoen’s investment in the Capital Battery supports the region’s 100% renewable electricity commitment and its target of net-zero emissions by 2045.