Australia’s most powerful battery has reached final commercial operations in New South Wales, marking a major milestone for the state’s energy transition.
Built on the site of the former Munmorah coal-fired power station, Akaysha Energy’s Waratah Super Battery is designed to deliver 850MW of power and store 1,680MWh of energy.
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The project was commissioned by the NSW Government and is built, owned and operated by Akaysha Energy.
Waratah forms the battery component of the Waratah Super Battery Project, which also includes a System Integrity Protection Scheme Control System delivered by Transgrid.
Together, the battery and control system are designed to help the grid respond quickly to disturbances, acting as a shock absorber for the electricity network while supporting the flow of more renewable energy across the transmission system.
The battery’s delivery hit a bump late last year when it was impacted by the failure of one of its three giant transformers. In June this year, Akaysha announced the project was operating at 82% of its total capacity following the successful repair and return to service of one of the affected transformer.
Akaysha Energy CEO Nick Carter said reaching final commercial operations was a significant moment for Akaysha Energy, its project partners, and New South Wales.
“We are proud of what has been delivered and are now focused on the role Waratah plays in supporting a more reliable, secure and renewable NSW electricity system,” he said.
The Waratah Super Battery attracted more than $1 billion in private investment and involved approximately 1,000 people across design and construction, including 170 workers on site during peak construction.
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Delivery partners included Consolidated Power Projects Australia, Hitachi Energy, Wilson Transformer Company, REPT Battero and EVE Energy.
