GenusPlus wins contract for 1.86 GWh of Birdwood BESS in Victoria

A contract worth AUD 160 million for a battery storage unit in Wodonga, Victoria, has been granted to GenusPlus Group. The battery has 400 MW of capacity and runs for 4.65 hours. It can store 1.86 GWh of energy. GenusPlus will build the balance of the plant. The site is due to be completed in late 2028.

Based in Belmont, Western Australia, GenusPlus Group provides power and communications infrastructure. It designs, builds, and maintains electrical transmission and distribution networks, substations, and battery systems. GenusPlus Group has been awarded a contract worth about AUD 160 million for the Birdwood battery energy storage project in Wodonga, Victoria. The project is also called the Baranduda Electrical Energy Reserve. The battery has a power rating of 400 MW. It can hold 1.86 GWh of energy. That gives it a run time of 4.65 hours. The system consists of four separate units. Each one is rated at 100 MW / 465 MWh and has its own grid connection. Site plans show up to 372 battery packs, each about the size of a shipping container. According to the state government, it has the longest storage duration of any battery in Victoria. GenusPlus will deliver the balance of the plant. This covers civil, structural, and electrical works. It also includes high voltage connection assets and communications, and control systems. The company will test and commission the finished site as well. The building should take about 18 months. Birdwood expects construction to begin in November 2026. The battery is fixed in an industrial area beside the Wodonga Terminal Station. It connects directly to the 330 kV link between Victoria and New South Wales. It will charge when renewable output is high and will release power when demand rises. Developers say it can supply more than 200,000 homes through the evening peak. The project is meant to support the grid as coal plants close. Victoria's State Electricity Commission will invest up to AUD 43 million for a minority stake. It will also take half of the output under a 15-year agreement. The other half will be sold on the merchant market.