New Collie battery to bolster energy reliability across the South-West
- New big battery to be built in Collie to supplement the WA electricity system
- AEMO contract to build a 197MW/four hour capacity battery awarded to Neoen
- The big battery is expected to be operational by 2024
- Neoen big battery in addition to Collie big battery funded in the 2023-24 State Budget
Collie will be the site of the latest big battery to be connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), the electricity grid supplying Perth and more than one million homes and businesses between Geraldton and Esperance and east to Kalgoorlie.
The Collie Battery will directly create more than 120 construction jobs, as well as many new opportunities for suppliers in the Collie region.
The contract to build a 197MW battery was awarded to Neoen by the Australian Energy Market Operator following a competitive process initiated with the State Government through Energy Policy WA's Coordinator of Energy.
The long duration battery is expected to be operational by the summer of 2024/25, when it will be providing 197MW for up to four hours.
The new piece of energy infrastructure will be a significant boost for the security and reliability of the South-West's electricity grid, especially during the evening peak periods.
The Neoen big battery is in addition to the massive new battery funded in the 2023-24 State Budget, which will be one of the biggest battery systems in the world, providing around 500 MW for up to four hours.
Neoen is one of the world's leading producers of renewable energy. The Collie Battery will be its sixth big battery in Australia.
Comments attributed to Energy Minister Bill Johnston:
"I warmly welcome the investment by Neoen in the State's energy market, which represents a key component of the Cook Government's Energy Transformation Strategy.
"While the WA Government is replacing its coal-fired energy capacity with renewable infrastructure through Synergy, it is also critical for the private sector to take up the opportunity of participating and benefitting from the State's energy transition.
"Big batteries like this one will help smooth out the peaks and troughs in the South West Interconnected System by storing energy during times of low demand and releasing it into the grid in times of peak demand.
"It will complement Synergy's new battery at Kwinana and the $2.3 billion investment announced in the recent State Budget for further battery storage capacity in the SWIS."