As the Turnbull government emphasises the need for more stability in the electricity grid, taxpayer funds have been given to two new storage projects.
The Clean Energy Finance Corporation has given $54 million for a large-scale solar project in north Queensland that is expected to lead to a pumped-hydro storage scheme.
The Genex Power project is based around the old Kidston gold mine north of Townsville and will be built in two stages: a 50 megawatt solar farm - enough to power 26,500 homes - followed by a 250MW pumped hydro storage facility.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has specifically highlighted pumped hydro as a power storage capability Australia should consider.
The CEFC said the innovative project would extend the life of a disused mine and offered an example that could be used in other mine sites around the country.
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The Australian Renewable Energy Agency also announced on Tuesday it was giving $4.1 million to Sydney-based company Ecoult to work on its cutting-edge battery technology and help fully commercialise it.
The company, a CSIRO-offshoot, plans to use the money to increase the performance of its batteries and make it compatible with a wider range of products.
Ecoult has signed a deal with India's largest battery manufacturer to make and distribute its UltraBattery throughout that country and south Asia.
