In the town of Collie, the state-owned energy firm Synergy has begun construction on a new BESS. With a 500MW/2,000 megawatt-hour capacity when finished, the system will rank among Australia’s largest grid-scale batteries.
The state of Washington is financing the project as part of its initiative to increase the use of battery energy storage in the area. It is anticipated that construction will be finished by the end of 2025.
Synergy has already undertaken significant initiatives to increase battery energy storage in the region. Since its completion in May 2023, Synergy’s Kwinana Battery Stage One has been supplying electricity to the South West Interconnected System. Additionally, the business is building a second Kwinana project that should be finished in late 2024.
The project has garnered enthusiasm from Australia’s Energy Minister, Reece Whitby, who said, “This is an exciting milestone for Western Australia’s decarbonisation journey. In an effort to phase out coal-fired electricity by 2030, Synergy’s groundbreaking initiative is important for the Collie community and will benefit local families and workers. Once finished, this battery will help WA’s main electricity grid function more reliably and with more renewable energy.”
MLA for Collie-Preston Jodie Hanns concurred, highlighting the project’s advantages for the Collie community. “This construction of Australia’s largest battery here in Collie signifies a critical turning point in the energy transition,” the speaker stated. Collie has been a key component of Western Australia’s energy system for many years and will be so in the future. I’m happy that a local company has been chosen to work on this project, adding employment locally as a part of the Cook Labour government’s continued support for our town.
Source: Synergy
