About the customer
Zenobē, a leading UK-based battery storage operator, and Transgrid, the operator of the New South Wales high-voltage electricity grid, selected DNV as the independent risk and assurance expert to deliver the innovative outcomes with security and confidence. Zenobē and Transgrid’s project will involve the supply of 40 electric buses and the transformation of Sydney’s Leichhardt Bus Depot, which is operated by Transit Systems, into a next-generation electric charging terminal. The venture will also install an integrated solar photovoltaic generation and BESS to supply power to the depot and to provide support services to the grid.
DNV’s solution
DNV leveraged its global expertise in large-scale electric vehicle, renewable generation and battery storage technologies for this project to accelerate the roll-out of next-generation, electrified public transport in Australia.
DNV led due diligence on the main technical aspects of the project which was critical to securing project funding, included high-level appraisal, risk and mitigation analysis undertaken on the:
- Selected equipment for the project, including the accessibility of spare parts (bus battery replacements, timing, cost and service impacts);
- Supplier suitability, reliability and compatibility with the bus operating schedule (route, distance/kilometres and kWh); and
- Solar power flows, BESS charging/discharging and power grid imports and exports.
DNV also advised the joint venture on the project’s commercial operation and contracts, the grid connection process (including the need for it to be capable of meeting the complex requirements of the bus depot’s charging infrastructure) and technical assumptions associated with the project’s financial modelling.
Benefits to the customer
DNV’s efforts demonstrate the multiple functions that a battery energy storage system (BESS) can perform: storing solar energy, charging electric buses and helping support a more stable grid. It also highlights what the future power system can look like, and the central role that a smart grid combined with EVs and renewable generation can play in Australia’s low-carbon energy future.