WA's next big battery
Collie will be the site of a new big battery to be connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), the electricity grid supplying Perth and more than one million homes and businesses between Geraldton and Esperance and east to Kalgoorlie. The contract to build a 197 MW battery was awarded to Neoen by the Australian Energy Market Operator following a competitive process initiated with the state government through Energy Policy WA’s Coordinator of Energy.
The long-duration battery is forecast to be operational by the summer of 2024/25, when it will provide 197 MW for up to four hours. The new piece of energy infrastructure will be a significant boost for the security and reliability of the South West’s electricity grid, especially during the evening peak periods.
The Neoen big battery is in addition to the new battery funded in the 2023–24 State Budget, which will reportedly be one of the biggest battery systems in the world, providing around 500 MW for up to four hours. Neoen is a leading producer of renewable energy. The Collie Battery will be its sixth big battery in Australia.
Energy Minister Bill Johnston welcomed the investment by Neoen in the state’s energy market and said it represents a key component of the state government’s Energy Transformation Strategy. Johnson said the big battery will help smooth out the peaks and troughs in the South West Interconnected System by storing energy during times of low demand and release it into the grid in times of peak demand.
“It will complement Synergy’s new battery at Kwinana and the $2.3 billion investment announced in the recent State Budget for further battery storage capacity in the SWIS. While the WA Government is replacing its coal-fired energy capacity with renewable infrastructure through Synergy, it is also critical for the private sector to take up the opportunity of participating and benefiting from the state's energy transition,” Johnston said.
The Collie Battery will reportedly create more than 120 construction jobs as well as many opportunities for suppliers in the Collie region.
Originally published here.
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