Origin flicks operational switch on Australia’s biggest approved battery

The first stage of the biggest approved battery project in Australia is now fully operational with Origin Energy announcing the initial stage of the 700 MW / 3,160 MWh battery energy storage system being built next to its Eraring coal-fired generator in New South Wales has commenced commercial operations.

January 8, 2026 David Carroll

Image: Wärtsilä

Origin Energy has announced that the 460 MW / 1,770 MWh first stage of its Eraring battery energy storage project being developed on the New South Wales Central Coast has completed commissioning and is now importing and exporting electricity into the National Electricity Market (NEM).

“I’m excited to share that Origin’s first large-scale battery at Eraring has commenced commercial operations,” Origin’s head of energy supply and operations, Greg Jarvis, said in a Linkedin post.

“This milestone is the culmination of a huge amount of work from our teams and contractor partners Wärtsilä, Enerven, Jacobs, Lumea and Transgrid to build the asset on time and under budget, integrate it into our portfolio, and develop the systems needed to bid it into the market.”

The milestone comes just weeks after Origin committed $80 million (USD 53.87 million) to construct the fourth stage of the battery project being developed at the site of the gentailer’s 2,880 MW coal-fired Eraring power station, located about 130 kilometres north of Sydney. The aging power plant, that delivers about 18% of the state’s current electricity needs, is scheduled to close in August 2027 but could be deferred until 2029.

Origin said the fourth stage of the battery project would significantly extend the battery’s dispatch duration to help cover the evening peak and support a more resilient grid. Across all four stages the Eraring battery will total 700 MW / 3,160 MWh, providing 4.5 hours of storage on average.

“This next stage of the Eraring big battery adds 360 MWh of storage, building on the work now underway and strengthening the site’s status as the largest approved battery energy storage system in the Southern Hemisphere,” Jarvis said

“When complete, Australia’s largest power station site will host the nation’s largest approved battery storage system, reinforcing Eraring’s role as critical infrastructure at the centre of Australia’s energy system for decades to come.”

The Eraring battery is a key element of Origin’s renewable energy transition strategy. The company is targeting up to 5 GW renewables and energy storage by 2030, including the 300 MW / 650 MWh Mortlake battery project being constructed in Victoria and is seeking approval to construct a 500 MW battery with a storage capacity of up to 2,000 MWh in Queensland’s Darling Downs region and the 200 MW / 800 MWh Templers Creek battery in South Australia.

It has also signed offtake contracts with two other big batteries that are under construction – the 500 MW / 1,500 MWh Supernode project in Queensland and the 240 MW / 960 MWh Summerfield battery storage project in South Australia.

“As Australia continues its energy transition, large-scale batteries will be essential for reliable supply of energy, supporting more renewables coming online and helping ease pressure on wholesale prices,” Jarvis said.

“Batteries can respond instantly to changes in supply and demand, which is why they’re becoming a core part of Australia’s renewable energy future.”

Battery equipment for stage four of the Eraring battery will be supplied by Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and design and construction services will be provided by South Australia-headquartered contractor Enerven.

Origin said it expects stage four of the battery will come online in the first quarter of the 2027 calendar year with all other stages of the project progressing on schedule.

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