New South Wales confirms site for 700-MW Waratah Super Battery
The New South Wales government on Friday confirmed the Aussie state’s plan for the 700-MW Waratah Super Battery, to be built at the site of a demolished thermal power station and planned to go online in 2025.
The huge facility is planned to act as a “shock absorber” for the state electricity grid, Minister for Energy Matt Kean said, touting the project as the largest one in the Southern Hemisphere. The scheme is expected to attract up to AUD 1 billion (USD 624.1m/EUR 640.2m) in private investment.
The super battery will be installed at the former Lake Munmorah coal-fired power complex in New South Wales’ Central Coast region, with its construction slated to begin early in 2023. Commercial operations will be achieved by mid-2025, prior to the planned closure of Origin Energy’s Eraring coal-fired power station.
Transmission company Transgrid has been appointed as the system’s operator.
“The battery will ensure electricity consumers in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong have access to more energy from existing generators while new transmission connections are developed,” Kean said.
The New South Wales government has given the ambitious project the Critical State Significant Infrastructure status earlier. This summer, it said that the scheme will be the first one to receive funding under the state’s new facility for supporting energy infrastructure investments over the next decade.
(AUD 1.0 = USD 1.602/EUR 1.562)
