The first shipment of battery units for the Waratah Super Battery have arrived in Australia and are being shipped from the Port of Newcastle to the construction site at the former Munmorah Power Station.
The battery units are a critical component for the project and will store and release energy, acting as a shock absorber for the energy system in the case of events like lightning strikes.
The Waratah Super Battery is one of the largest battery storage projects in the world and will ultimately include about 2,600 of the units.
Shipments will continue to arrive at the Port of Newcastle and be transported to the site over the next several months.
The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) is leading the delivery of the Waratah Super Battery, a Critical State Significant Infrastructure declared project and a key part of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap to deliver a transition to renewable energy.
Akaysha Energy is responsible for the battery’s construction, which began in May 2023.
There are currently more than 170 workers on site for the project, and many of its functional components are already in place.
In February, the first of three super load transformers arrived on site, and earlier this month the Australian Energy Market Operator granted Generator Performance Standard approval for the project.
Transgrid is connecting the Waratah Super Battery to the grid via its existing Munmorah substation and carrying out upgrades to the NSW transmission network to enable the operation of the battery.
The Waratah Super Battery is on track to be fully operational by August 2025.
“This is a significant milestone because it’s the first shipment of equipment that will store the energy in the battery,” EnergyCo Executive Director Network Planning & Technical Advisory Andrew Kingsmill said.
“The Waratah Super Battery will play a crucial role in supporting energy security in NSW by managing disruptions to the system, enabling more electricity supply through the existing grid.”
Transgrid Executive General Manager of Network Marie Jordan said the Waratah Super Battery would play a key role in helping secure energy supply after the closure of Eraring power station.
“It’s exciting to see this crucial project taking shape,” she said.
“Work is well underway on upgrades across the transmission network and a $30M System Integrity Protection Scheme which will control the super battery’s activation and ensure it can respond almost instantly to any disruptions in the power system.
“Transgrid is proud to be working with EnergyCo and Akaysha Energy to carry out this critical project for all of NSW.”