New Zealand prime battery technologies

Can New Zealand recharge EV batteries?

In a New Zealand first, Counties Energy is completing the life-cycle for used electric vehicle (EV) batteries by converting them into its Berm Battery energy storage system for recharging EVs.

Can 'non-hydroelectric energy storage' be a viable option in New Zealand?

As mentioned above, while New Zealand boasts large hydropower capacity, dry years due to low snowmelt or rainfall can leave hydroelectric unavailable for long periods. A government-supported project, NZ Battery, will investigate the feasibility of “non-hydroelectric energy storage options”.

Is the berm battery New Zealand's First Second-Life Battery?

Officially launched today, the Berm Battery’s journey to become New Zealand’s first second-life battery system followed a comprehensive planning and certification process which began in 2020 and included two years of testing including in a ‘real world’ environment. It was commissioned in October 2023.

Can grid-scale batteries be used in New Zealand?

Grid-scale batteries are already able to participate fully in New Zealand’s energy market as generation or as dispatchable demand, and can also offer interruptible load while charging. It is however prohibited from providing generation reserve.

Will Infratec build a new energy storage system in New Zealand?

Infratec general manager Nick Bibby said that the storage system is “the first of its scale to be built in New Zealand”. As reported by Energy-Storage.news, the two companies completed their assessment of the project in late 2021, selecting a site in Huntly, a town in the Waikato District.

What can New Zealand do to improve energy resilience?

WEL Networks and Infratec said they are actively pursuing other opportunities to enhance resilience and increase access to renewable energy in the region. New Zealand currently has a couple of 1MW battery storage systems in operation, but certainly nothing on the scale of the BESS in Huntly.