Western Australia’s first large-scale battery storage system is ready to charge and discharge energy into the grid, while an additional $2.3 billion has been allocated towards two new battery energy storage systems in WA’s 2023-24 State Budget, including a second, larger system at the Kwinana site.
Through Synergy, the WA Government has delivered the 100MW/200MWh battery at Kwinana, which can store enough energy in reserve to power 160,000 homes for up to two hours.
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The system, which involved more than 200 jobs in construction, will now undergo a series of charge and discharge tests before entering the network later this year. The second, larger system at the Kwinana site will provide 200MW of capacity with 800MWh—four times the energy storage of stage one.
A further battery system will be developed in Collie, which will be one of the biggest battery systems in the world, providing around 500MW for up to four hours.
The second Kwinana big battery is expected to be operational by late 2024.
The WA State Budget also includes $368 million for new large-scale wind energy generation projects—at King Rocks and near Eneabba—as well as $126 million towards electricity network planning and upgrades to support more renewable energy on the grid.
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WA Energy Minister Bill Johnston said, “WA is a leader in adopting smart solutions and cutting-edge technology for a sustainable energy system.
“These Battery Energy Storage Systems will be crucial in managing household energy demand and supporting the uptake of residential solar.
“We are committed to delivering cleaner and more reliable power to help us reach our ambitious emissions reduction targets.”
