Trina plans Australia’s largest battery storage project
With the proposed power out of 660 MW and storage capacity of 2,640 MWh, the Kemerton Battery Energy Storage System would be Australia’s largest battery storage facility.
The project would surpass in size the 560 MW/2420 MWh Collie battery currently being built by French renewables developer Neoen also in Western Australia, as the state is vies to fill the gap created by the accelerated exit of coal-fired power plants.
Shanghai-listed Trina Solar has lodged the development application with the Shire of Harvey. According to the document, the facility will be contructed on an already cleared 18.75ha parcel of land.
“…this portion of the site has been historically cleared for sand mining. The sand mining operation is nearing the end of its life, presenting the opportunity to repurpose the site to align with the State’s renewable energy targets,” the development application reads.
The site is located in the Kemerton Strategic Industrial Area in close proximity to existing 330 kV infrastructure including transmission lines and Kemerton Terminal Station.
The facility will feature up to 800 battery energy storage system containers, 200 inverters, and accompanying equipment, including an underground transmission line.
Trina wants to get construction under way in Q3 of 2026, taking 24 months and employing up to 150 people.
According to the application dicument, the proposed BESS will be capable of supporting grid stability through grid-forming technology and facilitating renewable energy integration. Overall, the project comes with a $400 million price tag.