The installation of 640 containerised batteries and 160 inverters at Collie in Western Australia (WA) has been completed by state-owned energy company Synergy.
Located adjacent to the 340 MW Collie coal-fired power plant, which is sheduled to close in 2027, the Synergy Collie Battery Energy Storage System (CBESS) will begin sending energy to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), later in 2025.
Situated 180 kilometres south of Perth, the 500 MW CBESS will have the capacity to store 2,000 MWh of energy or the equivalent of powering 785,000 homes.
WA premier Roger Cook said the state government is diversifying the state’s economy for the future, positioning WA at the forefront of the clean energy transition and creating skilled local jobs for the future.
“We are investing more than $5.7 billion (USD 3.6 billion) towards renewable energy generation, transmission and storage,” Cook said.
“Our investment in battery storage in WA demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and sustainable energy now and well into the future.”
Cook added that the Synergy Collie battery is one of the biggest batteries in Australia and a key project in the state government’s energy transformation strategy.
Local construction company SCEE Electrical lead the installation work, which created more than 500 jobs. Commissioning works have now commenced.
The Collie battery is Synergy’s third grid-connected battery, with two battery energy storage systems in Kwinana (KBESS1 and KBESS2) now helping to ensure the reliability of Western Australia’s energy system.
WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said Synergy’s Collie battery will play a critical role in Western Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and delivers on our commitment to power WA with cleaner, reliable and affordable energy.
“It is exciting to see how Synergy’s Collie battery is progressing in time for summer. WA is leading the way in the clean energy transition, creating skilled local jobs in the process,” Sanderson said.
Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns added that the completion of installation works at CBESS shows that Collie will continue to be at the heart of WA’s main electricity system.
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Regarding the Collie WA 340mw battery installation which will provide power for 785,000 homes.
My questions are
What is the supply time before the battery has to be recharged?
What was the total cost of this battery installation?
What is the expected life of the battery before replacement ?
What is the alternative power source when the battery is closed down for maintenance or fire?
Regards
Norman Merrin
Cairns Nth Qld
I eagerly await your further information to my questions
Thanks for showing interest in this story Norman. PV Magazine Australia has numerous articles about the development on its website, but for your specific answers to your questions, Synergy has a community engagement team you can contact directly via their website about the Collie BESS.