- Neon to begin battery energy storage system in Western Australia.
- The initiative will be implemented to handle grid irregularities and intermittent energy supply.
The 1-GW/4-GWh Collie battery energy storage system (BESS) from Neoen SA has received development approval in Western Australia, allowing the French company to start building the following year.
The Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) and the Shire of Collie approved. The massive battery will be erected in five 200-MW/800-MWh stages and will be situated close to the coal town of Collie, around 215 km (134 miles) southeast of Perth. It will be linked to the state’s primary energy grid, the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). A 31-acre development will be located there (12.5 ha).
The initiative will be implemented to handle grid irregularities and intermittent energy supply.
The battery will provide system security services such as inertia, frequency control, system strength and voltage control.
According to Neoen, completing each project phase will take between 12 and 24 months. The renewable energy developer plans to start construction on the first stage in the third quarter of 2023 and finish it in the fourth quarter or first trimester of 2024.
Once stage one is operational, the plant will have enough storage space to meet the hourly average energy needs of 260,000 families.
Neoen would invest close to $1.34 billion, according to media reports, to complete the project.