Construction is now underway on the Merredin Big Battery, a major energy project set to boost the resilience of Western Australia’s electricity grid while supporting the transition to renewable power.
The 100-megawatt, four-hour Merredin Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is being jointly developed by Atmos Renewables and Nomad Energy, with GenusPlus contracted to deliver the build.
Once complete, the battery will strengthen the South West Interconnected System (SWIS) by storing surplus renewable energy during the day and supplying it back to the grid during evening peak demand.
The project, expected to be commissioned in October 2026, will create around 70 jobs during peak construction and provide five ongoing positions once operational.
Strategically located alongside the 650-kilometre Muja to Kalgoorlie 220-kilovolt transmission line, also known as the Goldfields Line, the battery will improve energy security for the Wheatbelt and Eastern Goldfields while bolstering the line’s capacity and stability.
Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said large-scale batteries would play an increasingly vital role in shaping the state’s energy future.
“Grid-scale batteries play an important role in our clean energy transition, storing excess energy during the day and discharging it at night – helping to stabilise and strengthen our electricity grid,” she said.
She added that Merredin’s new BESS would complement existing projects already reinforcing WA’s power system.
“The Merredin Big Battery will add to our energy armoury, which includes state-owned batteries in Kwinana and Collie, and the Neoen battery also in Collie,” said Sanderson.
“Together with new transmission lines, wind, solar, and gas generation where needed, they are important elements of the energy grid of the future.”
The Merredin Big Battery joins a growing cluster of renewable infrastructure in the region, including the 222-megawatt Collgar Wind Farm and the 132-megawatt Merredin Solar Farm.
Since 2023, almost 500 megawatts of large-scale battery storage has come online across the SWIS, with another 728 megawatts due to be operational by 2026.
The Australian Energy Market Operator has highlighted the role of battery expansion in helping to alleviate recent energy shortfalls.
The developers have also committed to long-term community engagement through a $20,000 annual Merredin Battery Community Legacy Fund to support local initiatives over the project’s 25-year lifespan, alongside employment and education pathways for First Nations people.
As Minister Sanderson noted: “The Merredin Big Battery will create jobs, benefit First Nations employees and contractors, and contribute to local education initiatives.
“The developers and the community have established a community benefit fund that will financially support local community initiatives throughout the life of the project.”