The 850 MW/1.68 GWh Waratah Super Battery in NSW can supply up to 340,000 households at peak demand
EnergyCo says Transgrid’s SIPS monitors 36 transmission lines and uses the battery to inject power during outages
The project attracted over AUD 1 billion in private investment and supported nearly 1,000 jobs during design and construction
New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has become home to one of the world’s most ‘powerful’ battery energy storage systems (BESS) with 850 MW/1.68 GWh installed capacity. At maximum output, this project will be able to power up to 340,000 households at peak demand, according to the state government.
The Waratah Super Battery Project is located on the site that once hosted former Munmorah coal-fired power station. The idea was to repurpose disused industrial land close to existing power lines and substation and support the growing volume of renewable energy entering the grid as the state’s ageing coal fleet retires.
State Energy Minister Penny Sharpe called it a game changer for the state. NSW Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism and the Hunter, Yasmin Catley added, “The Hunter has powered NSW for generations. By transforming former industrial sites like Munmorah Power Station for the energy jobs and infrastructure of the future, we’re making sure it stays our state’s energy powerhouse for generations to come.”
Commissioned by EnergyCo that acted as the infrastructure planner for the facility, the project was built by Akaysha Energy, which owns and operates it.
Waratah project forms the battery component of the Waratah Super Battery Project for which Transgrid has delivered Australia’s largest System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS) control system. This control system will enable transmission lines supplying the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra regions to operate at higher capacity. It monitors 36 transmission lines in real time.
The system uses a utility-scale battery on standby to inject power into the grid if a transmission line is disrupted by events such as lightning strikes or bushfires, explain the project partners.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman said that with SIPS, the system will be able to detect and respond to network issues in real time while ensuring continuity of power supply for households and businesses.
According to Akaysha Energy, the super battery project attracted over AUD 1 billion in private investment and supported nearly 1,000 jobs across design and construction.
NSW government claims that the state’s installed battery energy storage capacity has increased 39-fold since the Minns Labor government took office. Over the same period, operational large-scale solar and wind capacity has grown by more than 80%.
The Australian state targets 42 GWh of long-duration storage by 2034 under its revised renewable energy and storage targets (see NSW Targets 16 GW Renewable Energy By 2030 In New Plan).
