The first units have been installed at the 2,000MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Western Australia, developed by state-owned Synergy at the site of the Collie Power Station. On October 8, 2024, it was announced that 80 units have been set up as part of this larger 4-hour duration BESS, which will eventually consist of 640 units upon completion. The project is utilizing the EnerC containerized lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BESS solution provided by CATL, a battery manufacturer based in China.
Synergy has indicated that the Collie BESS project has the potential to expand to 1,000MW/4,000MWh if market conditions support such growth. Construction of the BESS commenced in March 2024, with plans for it to connect to the grid by 2025. This initiative is part of a larger effort, receiving AU$2.3 billion (approximately US$1.52 billion) in funding from the Western Australia State Budget 2023-2024. The total construction cost is estimated at AU$1.6 billion, and the project received planning approval from the Western Australian government in December 2023.
Roger Cook, the Premier of Western Australia, emphasized that the BESS will keep Collie central to the state’s energy system, stating, “The Collie battery will be one of the biggest in Australia, and means we can deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy for Western Australia for decades to come.”
In November 2023, the state’s Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) recommended conditional approval for the project, aligning it with local land zoning objectives. The Collie site was recognized as an optimal location for large-scale battery storage due to its existing transmission network infrastructure and a skilled local workforce in the electrical industry.
In addition to the Collie BESS, construction also began in mid-2023 on the Kwinana 2 project, a 200MW/800MWh BESS that will work alongside Kwinana 1, a 100MW/400MWh BESS completed in May 2022. Both projects are part of the government’s strategy to enhance energy storage capacity, particularly to manage energy supply from variable renewable energy (VRE) sources like solar and wind, as well as to alleviate peak loads and congestion on the grid.
Reece Whitby, Western Australia’s Energy Minister, highlighted the importance of the Collie BESS in promoting the adoption of variable renewable energy technologies, including solar PV. He stated, “We know large-scale storage is important in our State because it supports household investment in rooftop solar and will allow us to continue our phased and sensible plan to transition out of coal by 2030. By installing these containerized battery systems in Collie, Synergy is one step closer to securing a cleaner energy mix that can provide power to the system when it’s most needed.”
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