Australia’s 2.4 GWh Collie big battery is now operating
Western Australia’s (WAs) state-owned electricity gentailer Synergy has announced one of Australia’s biggest batteries, the $1.6 billion (USD 1.1 billion) 500 MW / 2.4 GWh Collie battery energy storage system (CBESS) is now operational.
Located opposite the Collie Power Station, 215 kilometres south of Perth, the CBESS is able to supply enough power to approximately 785,000 homes for more than four hours, utilising 640 Contemporary Amperex Technology (CATL) EnerC Plus 4.07 MWh lithium-ion batteries which is the equivalent of 50,000 electric vehicles (EVs), and 160 Power Electronics inverters.
Key technology includes ABB eHouse solutions, 33 kV switchrooms, and battery management systems (BMS) for grid stabilisation, connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
The CBESS is the third grid-scale battery energy storage system delivered by the WA government in three years, and includes the Kwinana KBESS1 and KBESS2, which all combined can store more than 3.5 GWh of energy.
WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the batteries back more wind and solar generation to enter the system and support the government’s plan to exit state-owned coal generation by 2030.
“Renewable energy is the cheapest form of power. Synergy’s batteries capture excess wind and solar power for use when it’s needed. This makes more cleaner, cheaper energy available for Western Australians,” Sanderson said.
WA Premier Roger Cook said the battery is a key part of the state government delivering on Western Australia becoming a renewable energy powerhouse.
“This is a milestone moment in Western Australia’s energy transition as Synergy’s Collie Battery Energy Storage System is powering WA households this summer and beyond,” Cook said.
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