Western Australia’s first large-scale battery storage system is ready to charge and discharge energy into the grid, with an additional $2.3 billion allocated to two new battery energy storage systems in WA’s 2023–24 State Budget, including a second, larger system at the Kwinana.
The WA Government provided the 100 MW/200 MWh battery in Kwinana through Synergy, which has enough reserve energy to power 160,000 households for up to two hours.
The system, which required over 200 construction jobs, will now go through a series of charge and discharge tests before entering the network later this year. The second, bigger system at the Kwinana site will have 200 MW of power and 800 MWh of energy storage, which is four times that of stage one.
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.
A second battery system will be built in Collie, which will be one of the largest in the world and capable of supplying 500 MW for up to four hours.
The second large battery at Kwinana is projected to be operational by late 2024.
The WA State Budget also contains $368 million for new large-scale wind energy producing projects between Eneabba and King Rocks, as well as $126 million for power network planning and upgrades to accommodate additional renewable energy on the grid.
Bill Johnston, the Minister for Energy of Western Australia, said:
“WA is a leader in adopting smart solutions and cutting-edge technology for a sustainable energy system.”
then said:
“These battery energy storage systems will be crucial in managing household energy demand and supporting the uptake of residential solar.”
Then he ended his speech by saying:
“We are committed to delivering cleaner and more reliable power to help us reach our ambitious emissions reduction targets.”
Source: WA Government
