Trina Storage, the utility energy storage arm of Trinasolar, has been chosen to supply the battery energy storage system for Stage One of Frontier Energy’s Waroona Renewable Energy Project in Western Australia.
The project is located 120 kilometres south of Perth and will pair a 132MW solar facility with an 81.5MW, 6.9-hour battery energy storage system, making it one of the largest solar and battery hybrid developments on Western Australia’s main electricity grid.
First generation from the facility is scheduled for 2028.
Under the agreement, Trina Storage will supply its Elementa utility-scale DC solution, which uses lithium iron phosphate cells manufactured at the company’s Changzhou battery plant.
The Elementa range incorporates intelligent liquid cooling along with multiple layers of safety protection, including heat, gas and smoke detection as well as active fire protection systems.
Trina Storage is drawing on the broader Trina Group’s experience in high-power PV modules and tracker systems, giving the company a deeper understanding of solar plant design and system interfaces.
The Waroona project will use a DC-coupled architecture, which adds complexity to the design of the combined solar and storage system.
Warrick Stapleton, Head of Sales for Trina Storage in the Asia Pacific region, said close collaboration between the two companies had been central to securing the contract, noting that utility-scale storage projects are becoming increasingly sophisticated.
“We’re pleased that Frontier Energy selected Trina Storage for this project,” said Stapleton.
Stapleton added that the Trina Storage team worked closely with Frontier Energy throughout the procurement process to understand the project’s requirements and to show how its technology could support the company’s objectives.
He said that as Western Australia continues its energy transition, projects such as Waroona will play an increasingly important role in providing reliable, dispatchable capacity to the South West Interconnected System, and that Trina Storage is looking forward to supporting Frontier Energy through delivery and the long-term operation of the asset.
The agreement covering Stage One includes a 20-year warranty and performance guarantees, which the companies say will underpin long-term asset performance and support the project’s financing requirements.
Adam Kiley, Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Energy, said Western Australia is undergoing an energy transition and that Waroona Energy Park has the potential to support that shift through an integrated solar and battery strategy.
“Stage One is the foundation of our broader plans and is designed to support a more reliable and flexible electricity system,” said Kiley.
Stage One represents the first phase of Frontier Energy’s longer-term ambitions for the Waroona site.
The company’s future plans for the project envisage generation capacity reaching around 1,000MW, supported by up to 660MW of battery storage capacity, positioning Waroona as a significant contributor to Western Australia’s evolving energy mix.
The selection of Trina Storage for the project reflects continued growth in the deployment of large-scale battery storage across Australia, as grid operators and developers look to firm up variable renewable generation with dispatchable capacity.
With construction and commissioning still ahead, the Waroona project will be closely watched as an early example of a DC-coupled solar and storage hybrid operating at scale on Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System.
