City of Kwinana’s second large-scale battery storage system given the green light

Plans for Kwinana’s second $65 million big battery were approved at a recent Joint Development Assessment Panel meeting. Metro Outer JDAP members approved plans to build the battery at the former Kwinana power station site in Naval Base. Earlier this year, the State Budget committed to an additional $3 billion in funds towards tackling climate change and future-proofing WA’s energy system. Kwinana’s initial big battery is near completion and currently undergoing operational testing. The 100MW/200MWh battery will store rooftop solar resources, enough to power 160,000 homes for up to two hours. Stage two of Kwinana’s 200MW/800MWh battery will store four times more than the existing battery. Kwinana mayor Carol Adams said that the project would contribute to sustainable energy management in the City of Kwinana. “The big battery project aligns with the strategic significance of the Kwinana Industrial Area and the Green Industries hub,” she said. “It does this by providing the opportunity to store energy, which has come from the excess supply from renewable energy sources. “The big battery also helps to stabilise the energy grid during the day, accepting and releasing energy as demand and renewable energy generation changes.” Kwinana Industries Council director Chris Oughton said that the big battery project was part of the mix of renewables that will help to improve the industrial area. “The big battery project is part of the mix of renewables, including storage, that the industrial area needs to assist with the carbon reduction challenge,” he said. “There’s an awful lot more to do, of course, and Kwinana Industries Council is facilitating an ambitious, collegiate approach to industrial decarbonisation on behalf of our members.” Construction on Kwinana Battery Stage Two is set to start soon and is expected to be completed by late 2024.