Origin elevates Eraring battery capacity over 2 GWh at site of Australia’s largest coal generator
Construction of the second-stage 240 MW / 1,030 MWh four-hour duration grid-forming battery at the site of Australia’s largest coal generator Eraring Power Station in New South Wales (NSW) has been approved by site owner Origin Energy.
The combined energy storage of the stage one and stage two batteries will be exceed 2 GWh enabling Origin to help keep the grid stable and support more variable renewable energy coming into the system.
The $450 million (USD 295.4 million) second-stage compliments the first battery development currently under construction at the site, a 460 MW / 1,073 MWh two-hour duration battery due to come online at the end of 2025.
Works on the second-stage is scheduled to begin early in 2025 and come online in the first quarter of 2027.
Finnish technology group Wärtsilä will deliver the second stage of the Eraring battery facility and install its Quantum High Energy storage systems. The product launched in November last year utilises 306 Ah battery cells and packs 1.6 MWh in a 2.1 x 3.2 x 2.5 container. Origin selected Wärtsilä for stage one of the project in Q2 2023 and it is currently in the delivery process.
South Australian-based Enerven Energy Infrastructure will provide design and construction services for stage two of the Eraring project.
The stage two Eraring BESS will operate in Virtual Synchronous Machine (VISMA) mode, enabling short circuit current capabilities such as reactive current, droop control, and synthetic inertia, to support grid stability and security. These capabilities, known as system strength support services, will be facilitated by Wärtsilä’s intelligent energy management system, the GEMS Digital Energy Platform.
“The second stage of the Eraring battery will be over four-hours duration and it will be capable of absorbing excess solar generation during the day to support reliable energy supply when needed, such as through the evening peak,” Origin Energy Supply and Operations Head Greg Jarvis said.
“Eraring is a strategic site with high quality connection infrastructure. Confirmation of the second-stage of the Eraring battery development is a key next step as we look to transform the site for the future so it can continue to support the energy transition.”
Origin has now committed to more than 1.5 GW of large-scale batteries across its three owned projects at Eraring, south of Newcastle, and Mortlake, Victoria, along with tolling agreements for the offtake of the Brisbane-based Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners’ Supernode battery stage 1 and 2, which amounts to 500 MW/1560 MWh.
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