Neoen acknowledges the Ngunnawal & Ngambri people, Traditional Owners of the land on which Capital Battery will store energy. We pay our respects to their Elders past and present.

Benefits

Environmental Above and Beyond initiative

Neoen is committed to supporting local, environmental initiatives in the regions where it operates. The Capital Battery project site is located along the banks of the Molonglo River. This river areas hold ecological as well as cultural significance, having served as a food bowl for First Nations peoples for thousands of years & as a home to over 200 native plants, birds and marine species.

In January 2024, we commenced a long-term partnership with the Molonglo Conservation Group (MCG) to deliver the ‘Urban Rivers Project – Molonglo Catchment’. Under this project, the MCG is working hard towards improving catchment management in the two areas closest to our big battery. Their team of volunteers is monitoring & improving the river’s worsening water quality, protecting the native riparian vegetation, and ensuring that invasive weeds can be removed before they start hurting the River & the ones who depend on it. For more information, visit the Mongolo Conservation Group website.

 
Cap bat sml
Cap bat sml
Cap bat sml

Trio, 2023, Ham Darroch

Artwork

Neoen, under its Sustainability Framework, has a commitment to create an artwork on all its projects with a capacity of over 50 MW. The artwork aims to celebrate renewable energy and local culture.

 
At our Capital Battery project site, our artwork expresses the journey to reach a zero-emission future in the ACT. To achieve this, we need to combine invention and technology, and keep paying attention to connection and stability. The design is composed of organic triangular shapes that alternate spatially. The colours are drawn from the Capital Battery site and its surrounding environment while the composition reduces as it travels from one end to the other of this long wall. The ancient structure of a triangle along a pathway or route, speaks of balancing different elements and building connectivity.  

The artwork was designed and painted by Australian artist, Ham Darroch. Based in Canberra, Ham’s paintings resonate with human scale and the perception of space. This project was commissioned by Neoen and delivered in partnership with the ACT Government to celebrate the ACT’s journey to a net zero future by 2045. It was supported by Onespace and Canberra-based curator, Virginia Rigney.

 

RESEARCH PARTNERSHIP

Neoen and ANU’s Grid Storage and Integration Program are collaborating on a research project focussed on optimising grid scale battery performance.

Learnings from this research will be directly applied to the Capital Battery and Hornsdale Power Reserve and contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this high-growth sector.

Capital Battery FC media site photo scaled
CIT photo Capital Battery

EDUCATION INITIATIVES

Neoen have been working with Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) since 2015, when the Renewable Energy Skills Centre of Excellence was established as a joint initiative.

The purpose of the Centre is to provide practical training to prepare students for careers in renewable energy.

Neoen and CIT will be working together on some new courses in cyber security for renewables, Indigenous land-care, and hydrogen.

We are also working on a project which will highlight renewable energy career pathways for school leavers.