An expansion of a battery in Collie to store midday solar energy collected in the state's largest electricity grid for use in the evening will make it Australia's largest energy storage site.
The expansion is to serve a two-year storage contract from October 2025 that French company Neoen won after a competitive tender organized by the Australian energy market operator that controls the power grid in South West WA.
The first stage of the Neoen battery in Collie is under construction.Credit: Neoen
AEMO WA manager Kate Ryan welcomed the investment.
“Neoen's Collie battery will play an important role as we navigate WA's energy transition, supporting the state's future energy needs as coal generation is phased out,” he said.
The WA Government's 2023 budget allocated $2.8 billion for energy storage, wind generation and transmission system upgrades.
Power supply in the state's populous south-west is becoming increasingly complex as demand rises, the continuous installation of rooftop solar panels causes a difficult-to-manage peak in power supply at midday and slow progress is being made in the construction of new wind farms.
Substantial amounts of additional gas and renewable generation are needed before state-owned power generator Synergy shuts down its last two coal-fired power plants in 2027 and 2029.
Neoen is building the first stage of its Collie battery after winning a similar contract in mid-2023. It is scheduled to start operating in December 2024 and will be able to charge or discharge 200 megawatts in four hours.
The French company also operates Australia's original grid-scale battery at Hornsdale in South Australia and the Victorian Big Battery.
