Australia’s most powerful battery storage system officially completed
AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication
Akaysha Energy announced that its Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales has entered final commercial operation, completing a commissioning phase that included a transformer failure and reduced output periods. The 850 MW/1,680 MWh facility, built on the former Munmorah coal‑site near Budgewoi, is now Australia’s largest battery energy storage system. Owned and operated by Akaysha with backing from BlackRock, the battery works alongside Transgrid’s System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS) to inject power and coordinate generator output across 36 transmission lines. The SIPS arrangement enables existing lines serving the Hunter, Sydney and Illawarra regions to carry more renewable energy while the Hunter Transmission Project is under construction. The project attracted over AU$1 billion in private investment and employed 1,000 workers during design and construction.
💡 Why It Matters
- · By pairing the nation’s biggest battery with a real‑time protection scheme, NSW can squeeze extra renewable power onto existing lines, buying critical time for costly transmission projects to finish.