'Shock absorber' for NSW grid comes online

The Waratah Super Battery Project has begun partial operation as a ‘shock absorber’ for the NSW grid in the event of powerline outages due to incidents such as lightning strikes and bushfires.

“The Waratah Super Battery is one of the biggest in the world, and a crucial addition to our energy system,” said Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe. “As it comes online, it will help power our homes and businesses while stabilising the grid to avoid blackouts.”

Delivery of the project is being overseen by NSW Government body EnergyCo, while Transgrid is the network operator and Akaysha Energy operates the battery storage system.

The first 350 megawatts (700 megawatt-hours) of the project’s battery capacity have come online in the lead-up to full operation. This is about half of the battery’s capacity, with the remainder (for a total of 850 MW/1680 MWh) expected to come online later this year.

Located at the site of the former Munmorah coal-fired power station, the project is a key part of the NSW Government’s plan to upgrade the state’s grid and provide renewable, reliable and affordable energy as its aging coal plants retire.

Waratah Super Battery: aerial view of batteries.

The Waratah Super Battery Project has multiple parts that work together to help it perform its role in supporting the electricity grid. In addition to the battery energy storage system that gives the project its name, it also includes an overarching control system; arrangements for paired generation services (which help balance the grid during a powerline outage); and upgrades to the state’s existing transmission network.

The project will allow more power to flow from existing generators to supply electricity to people around the state and is faster to implement than new transmission lines, the government said.

In addition to half of the battery’s capacity now being online, the overarching control system is in operation, agreements with generators are in place, and the first stage of upgrades to the existing transmission network has been completed.

“Transgrid is proud to work with EnergyCo and Akaysha Energy to deliver the Waratah Super Battery Project — the first priority transmission infrastructure project under the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap,” said Transgrid CEO Brett Redman.

“To support the project, Transgrid’s experts have designed and installed a System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS) Control System which is the largest and most innovative of its kind in Australia.

“Specialist crews have also carried out upgrade work at 22 substations and four existing transmission lines across NSW to deliver additional energy to consumers when it’s needed.”

In the case of a powerline outage due to a lightning strike, bushfire or other major event, the SIPS Control System will send a signal to the battery to deliver more energy to the grid, while simultaneously instructing paired generators to reduce their output as necessary to balance the flow of electricity.

Akaysha Energy CEO Nick Carter said bringing the first 350 MW of the Waratah Super Battery online was a major milestone for everyone at Akaysha Energy.

“This achievement is the result of a tremendous collective effort spanning our global business units across all areas such as delivery, engineering, commercial and legal, technical integration, grid modelling, software, operations and trading,” Carter said.

“Of course, we could not achieve success without our outstanding delivery partners — CPP, Hitachi Energy and Wilson Transformer Company,” he added.

“Delivering this scale of infrastructure on such an accelerated timeline is no small feat, and we are honoured to have been entrusted to deliver a project of such significance to NSW’s energy security.”

Top image caption: Waratah Super Battery site on 1 May. Images courtesy EnergyCo.