First stage of Australia’s biggest battery project switched on, well ahead of schedule

The first stage of what will be the biggest battery in Australia has been officially switched on, ahead of schedule and less than 18 months after the start of construction, and will now get to work shifting rooftop solar output from the middle of the day to the evening peak.

The 219 MW, 877 MWh stage 1 of Neoen’s giant Collie battery in Western Australia is the first instalment of what will be – by the end of next year – the country’s biggest battery installation with a total of 560 MW and 2,240 MWh.

• The location in Collie is significant, because it is the home of the state’s last remaining coal fired generators, which are all due to close by 2030. The federal Opposition has identified the site as one of seven in Australia it wants to build nuclear reactors, but the grid capacity is already being taken up by the giant batteries that are being built there.

Apart from Neoen’s battery, state owned Synergy is building another 500 MW, 2,000 MWh battery just up the road – part of the state’s rapid switch to battery storage as a way of soaking up rooftop solar and injecting it back into the grid in the evening, and easing the exit of the remaining coal plants.

The Neoen Collie battery has actually been operating since October 1, and is the company’s first four hour battery, and its first in Western Australia’s main grid, known as the South West Interconnected System.

Neoen has been behind most of Australia’s world-leading battery projects, including the very first “Tesla big battery” at Hornsdale, and the Victoria Big Battery. It also has battery projects at Bulgana (Victoria) and Western Downs (Queensland) and is putting the finishing touches of batteries at Capital (in Canberra) and Blyth in South Australia.

The company will be handsomely rewarded for the solar-soaking contract for Collie, and has proved adept at landing many of the significant contracts awarded to big batteries in Australia, including grid support services at Hornsdale and VBB, and at Blyth, which will help deliver a “baseload” renewables contract to BHP’s giant Olympic Dam mine.

Neoen now has a total of 1,925 MW of battery capacity and 4,709 MWh of storage in Australia.

“We are extremely proud to have delivered the largest battery in Western Australia in record time,” said Neoen Australia CEO Jean-Christophe Cheylus.

“We are delighted to be contributing a storage project of this scale and duration. With over 2 GW of projects in our pipeline in WA, we are committed to continuing to play our part in the State’s energy transition.”

State energy minister Reece Whitby said the state’s energy future will be powered by a mix of rooftop solar, onshore wind, and large-scale battery storage, backed by gas.

“This battery will support household investment in rooftop solar by soaking up excess energy produced during the day and making it available in the evening when it’s most needed,” he said in a statement.

“It’s the exact sort of development that the Cook Government is supporting, as we get on with the job of retiring State-owned coal-fired power by 2030, embracing WA’s clean energy future, and ensuring Collie continues to be at the heart of our State’s south-west energy supply.”

Other big batteries are being built at Kwinana, where a second stage 200 MW, 800 MWh battery is being added to the smaller first stage, and at Wagerup by Alinta. Many others are in the pipeline.

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