Elon Musk helps bolster SA’s national renewables lead with big battery expansion
SA is leading the nation in renewable energy as one private company backs its top spot with plans to double the size of its big battery. See just how much renewable energy SA is making.
SA is leading the nation in renewable energy as one private company backs its top spot with plans to double the size of its big battery.With more than 75 per cent of South Australia’s energy generation coming from renewables, according to the Department of Energy and Mining, the state is the national leader in the space.
Now, a big battery expansion project is set to add more storage capacity into the energy network, to be developed by the largest battery owner and operator in Australia.
South Australian electricity generation from renewables has risen from one per cent in 2007 to more than 75 per cent in 2025, government data shows.
Wind energy made up 45 per cent of the state’s electricity in 2024/25, while solar panels made up 32 per cent. Gas remains a key contributor to the energy mix during peak usage periods and when renewables are unavailable.
The state leads the country and the world in the integration of wind and solar, and has the highest levels of rooftop solar (one in two houses).
Adelaide is also home to Australia’s only solar panel manufacturing business: Tindo Solar.
SA is hoping to achieve 100 per cent net renewable electricity by 2027 by commissioning new wind and solar projects, battery storage projects and the development of a two-way electricity flow between New South Wales and SA.
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Big batteries are supporting the state’s Net Zero target, and in November last year at one point, 40 per cent of electricity being used by SA customers was coming from a battery at the peak of consumption when rooftop solar was at zero. This included home batteries.
More than 11 per cent of homes are now equipped with their own home batteries according to January statistics from SA Power Networks, and the state’s large-scale batteries can deliver around 1.7GW of power and close to 5 GWh of storage.
Battery storage in SA has been expanding since 2017 when French company Neoen was awarded a contract to build a giant battery with Tesla technology, South Australian Minister for Energy and Mining Tom Koutsantonis saying it was a “template that is now being adopted internationally”.
“South Australia’s renewable energy output today is more than 12 times what it was 18 years ago, and investment in operational large-scale renewable energy generation and storage projects in South Australia now totals more than $6.4 billion, with more than $19 billion of projects under construction or with development approval,” Koutsantonis told InDaily.
“These are big investments that speak to great confidence in South Australia’s energy future and make a huge contribution to the state’s economy.”
Big battery expansion
Against this backdrop, one of the world’s leading renewable energy companies, Neoen, has today revealed plans to double the size of one of its batteries in SA’s Mid North.
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Its Goyder Battery, sited northeast of Robertstown, is part of a larger project called the Goyder Renewables Zone, which includes solar, wind and battery storage developments.
Neoen is at the helm of the project and is working with US billionaire Elon Musk’s Tesla and Australian engineering group UGL to construct the big battery.
The company – based in France – was awarded two 15-year contracts under the SA Government’s Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism tender to double the size of the Goyder Battery.
Plans anticipate the battery would be built over two stages, and the company must ensure the facility can dispatch energy continuously for eight hours when required.
Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis said the battery would add resilience to the broader state electricity network.
“South Australia’s Firm Energy Reliability Mechanism is fast-tracking private investment in large-scale battery energy storage systems that will collectively more than double our state’s battery storage capability,” Koutsantonis said.
“That will significantly bolster the resilience of South Australia’s energy system.
“Importantly, they will remove volatility in the system, helping keep downward pressure on wholesale prices.”
The Goyder Battery would connect to ElectraNet’s Bundey substation, with site works to commence in August 2027.
Neoen said it expected the battery would be operational in 2028 and hoped 150 jobs at peak construction would be created while 12 permanent roles would come online during operations.
Neoen regional CEO for Asia Pacific Jean-Christophe Cheylus thanked the state government for “placing their trust in us”.
“The launch of the second stage of Goyder Battery, just six months after the first, highlights the pace at which battery storage is becoming critical to Australia’s clean energy future,” Cheylus said.
“This is our 12th battery with Tesla in Australia, taking our combined capacity beyond 2 GW and our 9thproject with UGL.
“We are very proud of the role we continue to play in the state’s rapid transition to renewables.”
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