Origin Energy Limited, a leading Australian integrated energy company, has issued an Expression of Interest to select a suitably qualified firm to supply and install a large-scale battery at Eraring Power Station in New South Wales. This battery would have an overall capacity of up to 700 MW and a dispatch duration of 4 hours. According to the company, it is the largest battery project currently under consideration in Australia.
To connect the battery to the national grid via the Eraring substation, a connection enquiry has already been lodged with New South Wales transmission network service provider TransGrid. Australia’s largest power station, Eraring caters to around a quarter of New South Wales energy needs. It is Origin’s only coal-fired generation unit.
After a preferred supplier is selected, required permits and approvals are obtained and network connection is established, the battery deployment will be done in three phases. The first phase is expected to be reached by late 2022.
Origin Executive General Manager, Energy Supply and Operations, Greg Jarvis, said deploying a battery at Eraring supports Origin’s decarbonisation objectives and recent New South Wales energy policy announcements. He elaborated “The deployment of this battery at Eraring will support Origin’s orderly transition away from coal-fired generation by 2032, while complementing the policy objectives of the New South Wales energy roadmap,”