Batteries · Oct 20, 2026, 10:13
Genesis Opens 200MWh Huntly Battery NZ$5M Under Budget
Genesis Energy opened a 100MW/200MWh Saft battery at New Zealand's largest power station for about NZ$130 million as gas supply declines tighten winter margins.
The battery at Huntly Power Station.
Image: Genesis Energy
Source · Genesis Energy media release image, used for editorial coverage of the release · License
Huntly, New Zealand, October 15 — Genesis Energy opened its first grid-scale battery energy storage system (BESS), a 100MW/200MWh unit at the 1,200MW Huntly Power Station, for around NZ$130 million (US$74 million).
Genesis says the project came in more than NZ$5 million under budget, making it the cheapest BESS built in New Zealand so far. Huntly, which burns gas and coal, is the country's largest thermal plant.
The Technical Details
Saft, the battery maker owned by TotalEnergies, supplied 70 lithium iron phosphate (LFP) containers with power conversion and controls as a turnkey package. LFP is a lithium-ion chemistry that trades some energy density for lower cost and better thermal stability. Northpower installed the system, which connects to the national grid at Transpower's Huntly substation.
Construction began in June 2025. A second 100MW/200MWh stage, with a NZ$106 million final investment decision taken in April 2026, starts building in late 2026 and should be fully running in 2028, again with Saft equipment.
Sources
- Genesis opens 200MWh battery storage system at New Zealand’s largest power station · Energy-Storage.news
