The first shipment of battery units for the Waratah Super Battery has arrived in Australia, marking a significant milestone for one of the world’s largest battery storage projects.
The units were transported from the Port of Newcastle to the construction site at the former Munmorah Power Station. In total, around 2600 units will ultimately make up the massive battery energy system.
“This is a significant milestone because it’s the first shipment of equipment that will store the energy in the battery,” Andrew Kingsmill, Executive Director of Network Planning & Technical Advisory at the Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) said.
EnergyCo is leading delivery of the Waratah Super Battery, a critical state significant infrastructure project key to the NSW Government’s Renewable Energy Infrastructure Roadmap.
When fully operational by August 2025, the super battery will act as a “shock absorber” for the energy system during disruptions like lightning strikes.
Akaysha Energy is responsible for construction which commenced in May 2023. Already over 170 workers are on site, with the project’s first ‘super load’ transformer arriving in February.
Earlier this month, the Australian Energy Market Operator granted the project Generator Performance Standard approval.
Transgrid is connecting the Waratah Super Battery to the grid via its Munmorah substation and upgrading NSW’s transmission network to enable operation, including a $30 million energy system integrity scheme.
“The battery will play a crucial role in supporting energy security by managing disruptions and enabling more supply through the existing grid,” Kingsmill said.
Transgrid Executive General Manager Marie Jordan said the project “will help secure supply after Eraring power station’s closure”.
“Work is underway on network upgrades and a protection scheme to control the battery’s activation and instant response capability,” Jordan said.
“Transgrid is proud to support this critical NSW project.”
The super battery forms part of the state’s plan to transition smoothly to renewable energy sources following the closure of aging coal-fired power plants.
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