Western Australia’s second Kwinana big battery is now complete, providing 200MW of additional power capacity and 800MWh of additional energy storage capacity to Synergy‘s South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
The $661 million Kwinana Battery Energy Storage System stage two comprises 288 shipping container-sized battery modules and features 72 inverter units.
Related article: Project spotlight: Kwinana Battery Energy Storage System
Work on the project began in July last year and is now complete, with the battery to switch on before Christmas.
It comes as Western Australia’s main electricity grid hit a new renewable energy record this month, with renewables peaking at 85.1% of energy on the South West Interconnected System on 17 November.
The Western Australian Government has more than doubled the renewables on the grid since 2017, increasing from 14% in 2017 to more than 34% in 2023.
Synergy’s two big batteries in Kwinana will be able to power 450,000 households for up to four hours throughout Perth and beyond once the new battery is switched on.
The Kwinana big batteries join Neoen’s 560MW/2,240MWh battery unit in Collie, as well as the Collie Battery Energy Storage System, which is due to come online next year.
The Kwinana Battery was delivered using an integrated project management team. GenusPlus Group provided civil and electrical balance of plant, Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Limited (CATL) supplied the containerised liquid-cooling battery systems, and Power Electronics delivered the inverters.
Energy Minister Reece Whitby said, “With the completion of Synergy’s second Kwinana battery, we are delivering on our promise to provide Western Australians with power that is clean, affordable, and reliable.
Related article: Battery systems now in place at Kwinana Stage Two
“It won’t just soak up excess rooftop solar and onshore wind during the day—it will provide electricity in the evening, when the sun doesn’t shine, and the wind doesn’t blow.
“As we continue to retire state-owned coal-fired power, large-scale storage will play a critical role in enabling a smooth transition and backs in households seeking to benefit from rooftop solar.”
