Contract awarded for construction of new 4-hour big battery project

Leading Australian renewable energy company Atmos Renewables and its partner Nomad Energy have awarded the $65 million design and construction contract for its 100MW/400MWh Merredin big battery to local construction firm GenusPlus Group.

The Merredin BESS and substation works will occur in the wheat belt region approximately 230 kilometres east of Perth, and will be located close to the Merredin solar farm, and not far from the Collgar wind farm, still the biggest in the state at 213 MW.

 The 100MW battery with four hours of storage is expected to provide grid network support and enhance the security of supply in the Western Australian Electricity Market.

It is one of four big battery projects that won the first storage tender in W.A. under the federal government’s Capacity Investment Scheme.

The winners, announced in March, also included the the 324 MW, 1,200 Boddington Giga Battery, which will be paired with a solar farm, and has been proposed by PGS Energy, Neon’s 150 MW, 615 MWh Mulchea battery, and Frontier Energy’s Waroona project (80 MW, 380 MWh).

Genus will undertake the detailed design, procurement, installation, and associated civil works for the Merredin Big Battery over a timeframe of around 18 months, with construction expected to be completed in early 2027.

The project is expected to provide around 70 construction jobs, with Genus targeting “significant local content”.

“Genus is pleased to be increasing its presence in the renewable market through its involvement in this flagship project which is aimed at providing significant benefits to Western Australians,” said David Riches, managing director of Genus.

“The award of this contract highlights the strength of our customer relationships and our reputation for reliable delivery, and the Company looks forward to building on its relationship with Atmos Renewables.”

See Renew Economy’s Big Battery Storage Map of Australia for more information.