Renewables developer Neoen has filed an application to build a 1GW/4GWh big battery near the town of Collie in Western Australia.
According to PV Magazine, Neoen plans to build the battery on a 31-hectare site about 12km northeast of Collie, with the system to be constructed in five 200MW/800MWh stages.
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The company also plans to build new switchgear, a 330/33kV substation with step-up power transformers, and 330kV overhead cables to connect to the existing Western Power transmission infrastructure.
Neoen said the battery was key to unlocking future investment in, and uptake of, renewable energy in Western Australia.
“System security risks are emerging now as the increase in large-scale renewable generation and distributed energy resources displaces the dispatchable thermal generators that presently provide all system security services such as inertia, frequency control, system strength, and voltage control,” Neoen stated.
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“The proposed project will address these issues. There is significant potential for the project to address intermittencies in energy supply due to the ability of utility-scale battery facilities to respond quickly to fluctuations in the grid.”
Neoen said has more than 2.5GW of renewable assets in operation or under construction in Australia, and aims to reach 5GW by 2025.
