Akaysha Energy’s Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has commenced full commercial operations, marking a key development for one of the world’s most powerful battery energy storage systems.
The company, which built, owns and operates the project, confirmed that the facility is now active following approval to operate at full capacity from the Australian Energy Market Operator.
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Located at the former Munmorah coal-fired power station site, the Waratah Super Battery is designed to deliver up to 850MW of power and can store 1.68GW-hours (GWh) of energy.
Commissioned and overseen by EnergyCo and the NSW Government, the project is part of the state’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.
The system is intended to both store energy and provide rapid responses to grid disturbances.
The project received a total of more than $702m (A$1bn) in private investment, with around 1,000 people involved in its design and construction, including 170 workers on-site during peak periods.
With its current capacity, the project is able to power up to 340,000 NSW homes during periods of peak demand.
The battery’s operation is directly integrated with the electricity transmission network through the System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS), delivered and operated by Transgrid.
This system includes advanced monitoring and control technology, enabling the battery to detect grid disturbances in milliseconds and respond as needed to help maintain supply reliability.
The SIPS can be activated immediately to manage unplanned interruptions such as those caused by severe weather events.
Hitachi Energy was responsible for supplying, installing and commissioning 288 power conversion systems along with two power plant controllers for the facility.
The digital architecture established by Hitachi Energy allows real-time monitoring and advanced analytics via its HMAX Energy service suite, delivered through a 20-year service agreement.
NSW Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe said: “The Waratah Super Battery is a game changer for NSW. As ageing coal-fired power stations retire, this project will help keep the lights on for homes and businesses while enabling more renewable energy to flow through the grid.
“This is exactly the kind of infrastructure NSW needs to deliver a reliable, affordable and modern energy system for generations to come.”
The Waratah Super Battery’s main function is to act as a “shock absorber” for the state’s electricity grid, capturing excess generation and releasing it during peak demand.
It also aims to support the increasing share of renewable energy in the grid as ageing coal-fired stations retire.
