New Zealand’s latest grid-scale battery, set to power the equivalent of 44,000 Kiwi homes at

peak demand, has moved one step closer to reality.

Contact Energy (Contact) has today announced that the installation of 56 battery units has

begun at the Glenbrook, South Auckland site with the grid-scale battery on track to be

operational by next March.

The $163million industrial-sized lithium battery will store excess renewable electricity, often

generated by wind or solar in off-peak periods when demand is low, that would otherwise go to

waste. In an instant it can then rapidly discharge this stored electricity to the grid when most

needed and provide backup electricity to the grid in times of unexpected outages.

Contact’s Chief Development and Major Projects Officer Dorian Devers says the company is committed to both being a leader in the decarbonisation of the country and contributing further

to a secure, reliable energy system.

“We are doubling down on our focus to increase electricity generation and improve the

resilience of the electricity network. From autumn 2026 our Glenbrook-Ohurua battery will

contribute to our diversified fleet of generation, and store energy in reserve ready to discharge

to the national grid at a split second when it is needed most,” said Mr Devers.

“This investment and technology is a significant and exciting step forward for New Zealand. It is

a game changer, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and supporting the energy transition and

the development of renewables like wind and solar.”

Built on land leased from NZ Steel, the site for the BESS (battery energy storage system) was

ideal due to its proximity to the national grid, and closeness to the country’s largest city. It will

create around 50 jobs during construction.

Contact has the option to further expand the capacity of the battery from 100MW to 130MW at

the Glenbrook site. It also has been granted consent to build another 100MW grid scale battery

in Stratford, Taranaki.