Energy Vault secures full land ownership for 1GWh Stoney Creek BESS in Australia

energy-storage.news Sep 5, 2026

Energy Vault secures full land ownership for 1GWh Stoney Creek BESS in Australia

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Sep 5, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Energy Vault has completed the purchase of the land underlying its 125 MW/1 GWh Stoney Creek battery energy storage system in northern New South Wales, converting the site from a lease to full ownership pending FIRB approval. The project, originally partnered with Enervest Group, moved to sole control after Energy Vault acquired the asset in March 2025 and secured final foreign‑investment clearance in August 2025. Construction is slated for early 2027 with commercial operation targeted for the first half of 2028. Stoney Creek will deliver eight hours of dispatchable storage under a 14‑year Long‑Term Energy Service Agreement that could generate $25‑30 million of annual revenue. The acquisition aligns with Energy Vault’s “Own & Operate” strategy and expands its presence in Australia’s growing long‑duration storage market sector.

💡 Why It Matters

· Securing outright land rights removes a key regulatory hurdle, allowing Energy Vault to lock in long‑term cash flows and demonstrate the viability of its IPP model in a market hungry for firm, long‑duration storage.

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EU CRM Centre: How to Secure Critical Minerals

The European Union proposes a Critical Minerals (CRM) Centre to secure resilient supply chains for clean‑tech raw materials. The centre would act as a financial arm of European mineral diplomacy, coordinating national investments, development banks, and export credit agencies. It would pool resources from the European Competitiveness Fund and Global Europe Instrument, moving beyond coordination and stockpiling. The initiative follows mixed EU progress and mirrors models used by Australia, Canada, Japan, and the US.

💡 By centralizing funding and policy, the CRM Centre could break the EU’s current dependency on imported minerals, ensuring a stable supply for its green‑energy transition.

indiandefensenews.in · Sep 5

Pranos’s Compact Tokamak PRAGYA Compact Fusion Reactor Powers India’s Deep-Tech Leap

Pranos Fusion unveiled PRAGYA, India’s first privately built compact tokamak reactor, at the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research in Bangalore. The 0.40‑metre major‑radius device operates with a 0.1‑Tesla toroidal field and a target plasma current of 20–25 kA, designed for high‑frequency experimental shots rather than commercial power. PRAGYA will conduct 10–12 tests daily for nearly two decades, producing data on plasma control, superconducting magnets, and auxiliary heating. The project follows a ₹63‑crore funding round and positions Pranos as a key player in India’s emerging fusion sector.

💡 By demonstrating that a private firm can construct a functional tokamak, PRAGYA challenges the traditional state‑dominated model of fusion research and accelerates India’s path toward indigenous clean‑energy technology.

energy-storage.news · Sep 5

China’s half-year energy storage deployments post first-ever decline to 22GW/59GWh, while overseas…

China’s half‑year energy storage deployments fell 18% to 21.81 GW/58.60 GWh, marking the first decline since the sector’s rapid expansion. Cumulative installed capacity reached 237.7 GW, up 41.7% YoY. The dip reflects a shift toward larger, longer‑duration projects, with 100 MW+ projects rising 8% and average duration climbing to 2.69 h. Standalone storage accounted for 69.3% of new capacity, boosted by policy support and a new national pricing mechanism. Overseas orders surged 83%, underscoring global demand.

💡 The slowdown signals China’s pivot from sheer volume growth to value‑driven, high‑duration storage, reshaping investment priorities. Global buyers now see China as a key supplier, amplifying its role in worldwide energy transition markets.

cleantechnica.com · Sep 5

Global Maritime Decarbonisation Stalls Despite the Accelerating Impact of Climate Change

The International Maritime Organization failed to reach a decarbonisation agreement at its third consecutive meeting, as the United States and Saudi‑led delegations blocked progress. Transport & Environment warned that the stalemate leaves shipping reliant on fossil fuels and undermines global climate targets. The dispute, driven by opposition to a centralised fund and weakened greenhouse‑gas limits, risks delaying the 2050 decarbonisation goal. The next IMO session, scheduled for November 30‑December 3, must resolve these impasses.

💡 The deadlock threatens to lock the shipping industry into costly fossil‑fuel dependence, undermining global climate commitments and exposing vulnerable nations to escalating climate risks.

energy-storage.news · Sep 4

Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Cleanhill Partners sell PCS manufacturer EPC Power for US$4.4…

Goldman Sachs Alternatives and Cleanhill Partners sold EPC Power Corp, a California‑based manufacturer of software‑defined inverters and power conversion systems, to Flex for US$4.4 billion. The deal, announced on 3 September, will close in Q4 2026 and is financed through a mix of debt and equity. EPC Power’s technology, including Agile Grid Forming and solid‑state transformers, targets renewable energy, battery storage, and data‑centre power markets. Flex plans to integrate EPC Power into its Cloud and Power Infrastructure unit, slated for a public spin‑out in Q1 2027.

💡 The acquisition signals a strategic shift toward high‑voltage, AI‑driven data‑centre power solutions, positioning Flex to capture growing demand for resilient, scalable energy infrastructure.

energy-storage.news · Sep 4

Equinor’s East Point Energy begins operations at 200MWh Texas BESS

Equinor’s Texas‑based subsidiary East Point Energy has commissioned the 100 MW/200 MWh Citrus Flatts battery energy storage system (BESS) in Harlingen, marking the company’s second operational project after the 10 MW/20 MWh Sunset Ridge facility. The project, approved in 2024, operates on a fully merchant basis with optimisation services from Equinor’s trading arm, Danske Commodities, and is expected to deliver returns at the upper end of the firm’s 4‑8 % renewable range. Citrus Flatts joins five other Equinor BESS installations launched over the past four years and signals the firm’s shift from developer to independent power producer. Construction continues on a 80 MW/160 MWh portfolio in Virginia, while a planned 116 MW New York BESS was shelved after local opposition.

💡 The launch demonstrates Equinor’s rapid scaling of merchant‑grade storage in a market where revenue streams are increasingly contested, positioning the firm to capture higher‑margin grid services.