China-headquartered Trinasolar is seeking development approval to build what would be the biggest solar farm in Western Australia, as well as one of the largest battery energy storage projects in the state to cater for an anticipated 1.8 GW of new loads from industrial expansion and electrification in the region.
In planning documents lodged with the Shire of Three Springs and the state’s Regional Development Assessment Panel, Trina says it is seeking approval to build a 400 MW solar farm and a 400 MW battery energy storage system (BESS), capable of dispatching power for up to four hours.
The $700 million (USD 455.5 million) Killawarra solar and battery energy storage hybrid project is planned for a 620-hectare site located about 20 kilometres southwest of the Three Springs townsite, approximately 250 kilometres north of state capital Perth.
The documents say the subject site has been selected due to its strategic location between the state’s main grid, the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), terminals and its proximity to Western Power’s Northern Energy Link, the state-owned grid operator’s upgrade project.
Trina said the project will assist the state to meet its renewable energy targets and provide important new renewable energy infrastructure to address rapid demand growth in the region.
“The combination of large-scale solar with long-duration energy storage offers a cost-effective and reliable source of renewable energy, providing essential grid capacity, enabling quick responses to grid demands, and optimising energy use for the region’s growing industries,” it said, noting the state has forecast new loads of 1.8 GW in the region driven by new and expanding industries.
The proposed Killawarra project includes the solar farm, comprising more than 680,000 solar panels and associated inverter stations, a battery system encompassing about 500 BESS containers, and a purpose-built substation and switchyard.
Trina says the facility will supply renewable energy to the SWIS via Western Power’s existing 330 kV transmission line that passes through the development site.
The subject site is currently used for agricultural purposes, including livestock grazing, and Trina said it will continue to be utilised for grazing when the project is operational.
“The solar array has been designed to facilitate grazing in and around the solar panels to promote weed control,” the company said.
If constructed, the Killawarra project would be the biggest solar farm in Western Australia, edging out Indonesia-headquartered developer Sun Energy’s 100 MW Merredin Solar Farm that remains – for now – the biggest operational solar farm in the state.
The Killawarra battery would also be one of the biggest in the state that will soon be home to Australia’s biggest operating battery, the 560 MW / 2,240 MWh battery being built by Neoen near the town of Collie in Western Australia’s southwest.
Trina has also announced plans for a 660 MW / 2,640 MWh battery to be built near Bunbury in the state’s southwest.
The Kemerton BESS is among a growing portfolio of energy storage projects Trina is developing in Australia. These include the proposed 270 MW / 540 MWh Augusta project in South Australia and the 500 MW / 1,000 MWh Kiewa Valley BESS project in northeast Victoria.
Together, these projects are part of Trina’s goal to deliver more than 6.5 GW of clean energy generation and storage across the country by 2027.
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