Akaysha Energy has responded to reports of a “catastrophic” transformer failure at its Waratah Super Battery, saying the battery is still operating at 350MW capacity and actively bolstering the New South Wales grid.
According to the AFR, an internal email at Akaysha flagged a major issue with one of the battery’s three massive transformers. However, a spokesperson for the company said issues were actually identified with two of the transformers.
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“Akaysha Energy notified the energy market of a temporary loss of capacity at the battery due to a transformer outage,” the spokesperson said.
“The Waratah Super Battery continues to meet its System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS) service requirements of 350MW, which is the interim commercial operating capacity.
“During ongoing Hold Point testing to transition the battery to full capacity, issues were identified with two transformers.
“The battery’s remaining capacity is expected to come online during 2026. There is no impact to the NSW electricity grid as the WSB remains operational and continues to meet its SIPS service requirements of 350MW.”
It’s understood the two transformers are undergoing detailed engineering inspection onsite pending rectification and replacement decisions.
Experts say this is a standard engineering precaution designed to confirm the root cause of the issue and ensure optimal long-term reliability, and does not indicate any broader system issues or safety fault.
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Also, as the transformers were manufactured by an Australian-based transformer company, the advantage is that all diagnostic, rectification, and re-commissioning activities can be undertaken locally, allowing faster turnaround in alignment with Australian design and performance standards.
The $1 billion Waratah Super Battery is being built by Akaysha Energy on the site of the former Munmorah coal power station near Budgewoi north of Sydney.
