Eku Energy Enters New Zealand BESS Market with Acquisition
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Energy storage developer Eku Energy has officially entered the New Zealand battery energy storage system (BESS) market. On June 24, 2025, the company announced the acquisition of a BESS, the size of which has not yet been disclosed, set to be developed in Waikato, located on the North Island. This region is known for being home to New Zealand’s largest river and lake.
While further details about the project remain scarce, Eku Energy has confirmed that it will collaborate with local partner Helios Energy, a renewable energy developer, to navigate the planning approval process. Stuart Hillen, Eku Energy’s director of development and country lead for Australia, highlighted the similarities between Australia and New Zealand, such as aging energy infrastructure and an increasing demand for firming solutions. He stated, “BESS will deliver greater energy security to New Zealand as the proportion of renewable energy on the grid grows. We are excited to be working with Helios to develop this project and look forward to engaging with potential offtake partners to deliver long-term, flexible firming capacity.”
Eku Energy is an energy storage development platform that launched in late 2022, backed by the Macquarie Asset Management-owned Green Investment Group (GIG). The company boasts a global pipeline of energy storage projects across the UK, Japan, Australia, and beyond. In Australia, Eku Energy operates several BESS assets, including the 150MW/150MWh Hazelwood BESS and the 200MW/400MWh Rangebank BESS, both located in Victoria. Additionally, construction commenced in November 2024 on the 250MW/500MWh Williamsdale grid-forming BESS in the Australian Capital Territory.
In Waikato, Genesis Energy, a listed New Zealand generation, wholesale, and retail energy company, is in the process of developing a 100MW/200MWh BESS. Construction for this site began earlier this month, with Saft selected as the BESS supplier. Saft will engineer the BESS at the Huntly Power Station, a significant thermal power plant, providing a complete turnkey solution.
Upcoming events in the energy storage sector include the Battery Asset Management Summit 2025, scheduled for November 11, 2025, in San Diego, USA, and the Energy Storage Summit 2026, taking place on February 24, 2026, at the InterContinental London – The O2, UK.
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