An Australian-first renewable energy hub combining landfill biogas, solar generation and battery storage is now operating in northern Adelaide.
LMS Energy has commissioned the 2.49 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at the Uleybury Renewable Energy Hub, marking the methane abatement company’s first battery storage project and a new model for integrating renewable generation and storage at landfill sites.
The battery builds on LMS Energy and Northern Adelaide Waste Management Authority (NAWMA)’s long-running partnership at Uleybury, where methane produced by decomposing waste has been captured and flared since 2012. Renewable electricity generation from landfill biogas and solar was added to the site in 2017. The project has generated 81,800 MWh of renewable electricity and abated 748,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂-e) emissions.
The battery can store electricity generated on site or drawn from the grid, then dispatch it during periods of lower renewable generation or higher demand, helping improve grid flexibility as South Australia’s renewable energy mix continues to grow.
The site’s 3.8 megawatt (MW) export capacity allows the 1.1 MW landfill bioenergy facility and the 2.49 MW BESS to export electricity simultaneously through the same grid connection.
LMS Energy Co-CEO James McLeay said the project demonstrated how existing renewable energy infrastructure could evolve to support a changing electricity system.
“This project shows what the next generation of renewable energy infrastructure looks like,” Mr McLeay said.
“By integrating landfill biogas, solar and battery storage behind a single connection point, we have created a flexible renewable energy system that can generate, store and dispatch electricity when the grid needs it most.
“What makes this project particularly significant is that it builds on infrastructure that has already been operating successfully for almost a decade. Rather than starting from scratch, we have expanded an existing landfill biogas facility into a more flexible energy hub capable of responding to changing market and network conditions.
“As more variable renewable energy enters the grid, storage becomes essential. Projects like this demonstrate how landfill sites can evolve from waste management assets into integrated renewable energy and storage hubs that deliver additional value for our partners, communities and the electricity network.”
The BESS is the latest addition to a site that has been capturing landfill methane since 2012.
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