Western Australia’s transition to clean energy reached a key milestone this week, as WA Premier Roger Cook and Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson were joined by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to mark the completion of installation works at Synergy’s Collie Battery Energy Storage System.
The Collie battery, now with 640 battery packs and 160 inverters installed, is set to become one of the largest batteries in Australia.
Once fully operational, the 500 megawatt (MW) system will offer 2,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of storage capacity — enough to power approximately 785,000 homes.
The project remains on track for completion later this year and will be ready to support the grid during the coming summer peak.
Local construction company SCEE Electrical led the installation, generating more than 500 jobs for the region.
Commissioning works are now underway, moving the project into its final phases.
The Collie battery is Synergy’s third grid-connected battery, joining the Kwinana Battery Energy Storage Systems (KBESS1 and KBESS2) in strengthening Western Australia’s energy security and reliability.
WA Premier Roger Cook stated: “My government is diversifying our economy for the future, positioning WA at the forefront of the clean energy transition and creating skilled local jobs for the future.
“We are investing more than $5.7 billion towards renewable energy generation, transmission and storage.
“Our investment in battery storage in WA demonstrates our commitment to providing reliable and sustainable energy now and well into the future.
“The Synergy Collie battery is one of the biggest batteries in Australia and a key project in the state government’s Energy Transformation Strategy.”
WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson added: “Synergy’s Collie battery will play a critical role in Western Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and delivers on our commitment to power WA with cleaner, reliable and affordable energy.
“It is exciting to see how Synergy’s Collie battery is progressing in time for summer.
“WA is leading the way in the clean energy transition, creating skilled local jobs in the process.”
Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns said: “As the local Member, I am proud to be part of a…government focused on delivering jobs and new industries for Collie and the surrounding region.
“The completion of installation works at Synergy’s Collie Battery Energy Storage System shows us that Collie will continue to be at the heart of WA’s main electricity system.”
The Collie Battery Energy Storage System is a cornerstone of WA’s strategy to replace coal-fired generation with renewable energy and storage, supporting grid stability as the state moves toward its 2030 decarbonisation targets.