Big battery blitz: Six-hour giant with 4.8 GWh of storage approved as 8-hour project joins queue

Western Australia, home to one of the biggest isolated grids in the world, continues to flex its energy storage muscle this week, with the approval of a huge six-hour big battery and a brand new proposal for an eight-hour battery kicking off its development application process.

The up to 800 megawatt (MW) and 4,800 megwatt-hour (MWh) Red Gully battery energy storage system (BESS) proposed for construction in the Shire of Gingin, around an hour’s drive north of Perth, was this week given the green light to go ahead by the Regional Development Assessment Panel.

The BESS, which stands to be one of the biggest in the state – and the country – is proposed for construction in two stages by Perth-based developer BLT Energy, a relatively new player in the sector staffed by former investment bankers.

BLT Energy says the first phase of construction will install a BESS with up to 400 MW of power and 2,400 MWh of storage on the state’s main grid, the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), “helping to store surplus renewable energy and discharge it when needed most.”

According to the project’s environmental assessment report, the battery will be built on land that has historically been used for cropping and grazing, and adjacent to Western Power’s Regans Terminal, where it will complement the development of Clean Energy Link – North transmission upgrade.

Clean Energy Link – North is involves building and upgrading high-capacity transmission lines, terminals and substations along a 354km corridor through Perth’s northern suburbs and the Wheatbelt to support the buildout of renewables – and the exit of coal – between the Mid-West and Perth.

Western Power says that once it is complete, the new link will allow around 400 MW of existing wind and up to 1 GW of new renewable energy generation to be built – enough to power 500,000 WA homes.

BLT Energy said on Wednesday that with planning approval now secured, it will get to work preparing for the first phase of construction, with a focus on detailed engineering design and financing.

“BLT Energy is committed to continue working with the Shire of Gingin, the local community and Traditional Owners to define and deliver community benefits over the life of the project,” the company said here. “We look forward to keeping the community updated as the project progresses.”

The approval of the Red Gully BESS follows news that Melbourne-based Mint Renewables has submitted a development application for a 100 MW and up to 800 MWh (eight hours of storage) battery in the Shire of Kojonup in WA’s Great Southern region.

Mint says the Kojonup BESS would support the integration of renewable energy generation and enhancing reliability and resilience of the SWIS, connecting to the grid from its proposed location adjacent to the existing Kojonup substation on “predominantly cleared agricultural land.”

A Stakeholder and Community Engagement Plan (SCEP) has been prepared to guide consultation with stakeholders as the project progresses, and the Shire of Kojonup is seeking community feedback on the application ahead of a decision by the Regional Development Assessment Panel.

Big batteries with eight hours of energy storage remain relatively rare, with the only operational example in Australia – the 50 MW and 400 MWh Limondale battery in New South Wales – formally launched just last week.

Limondale is believed to be the first battery in Australia that has been allowed “asymmetric” registrations – meaning it is permitted to charge at a rate of 100 MW, although its discharge is limited to 50 MW as per the requirements of the long duration storage contract.

Western Australia is already home to some of the nation’s biggest and longest duration battery projects, including Neoen Australia’s Collie battery, which at 560 MW and 2,240 MWh can charge and discharge the equivalent of 20 per cent of the average demand in the SWIS.

State-owned utility Synergy has developed the 200 MW and 800 MWh Kwinana Stage 2 battery, alongside a 100 MW, 200 MWh first stage that was completed in 2023 to become the first big battery to be built on the state’s main grid.

Also in operation are Synergy’s separate 500 MW, 2,000 MWh Collie battery, Alinta’s 100 MW, 200 MWh Wagerup battery, and the 50 MW, 200 MWh solar battery at Cunderdin.

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