Origin Energy has announced that the 460MW/1,770MWh first phase of its Eraring battery energy storage project being developed on the New South Wales central coast has come on stream and is now importing and exporting electricity to the National Electricity Market (NEM).
“I am pleased to share that Origin’s first large-scale battery in Eraring has become commercially operational,” Greg Jarvis, Origin’s head of energy supply and operations, said in a Linkedin post. after. “This milestone is the result of a tremendous amount of work from our teams and contractor partners Wärtsilä, Enerven, Jacobs, Lumea and Transgrid to build the asset on time and on budget, integrate it into our portfolio and develop the systems needed to bring it to market.”
The milestone comes just weeks after Origin committed AUD80 million ($53.87 million) to build the fourth phase of the battery project being developed at the site of the gentailer’s 2,880MW coal-fired Eraring power station, about 130 kilometers north of Sydney. The aging power plant, which supplies about 18% of the state’s current electricity needs, is expected to closing in August 2027 but could be postponed until 2029.
Origin said the fourth phase of the battery project would significantly extend battery supply times to help cover the evening peak and support a more resilient network. Across all four phases, the Eraring battery will deliver a total of 700 MW / 3,160 MWh, providing an average of 4.5 hours of storage.
“This next phase of the large Eraring battery will add 360 MWh of storage, building on the work now underway and strengthening the site’s status as the largest approved battery energy storage system in the Southern Hemisphere,” Jarvis said.
“When complete, Australia’s largest power station will house the country’s largest approved battery storage system, cementing Eraring’s role as critical infrastructure at the center of Australia’s energy system for decades to come.”
The Eraring battery is a key part of Origin’s renewable energy transition strategy. The company targets up to 5 GW of renewables and energy storage by 2030, including 300 MW/650 MWh Mortmeer battery project being built in Victoria and seeking approval to build a 500 MW battery with a storage capacity of up to 2,000 MWh in Queensland’s Darling Downs region and the 200 MW/800 MWh Templers Creek battery in South Australia.
It has also signed offtake contracts with two other large batteries under construction: the 500 MW / 1,500 MWh Supernode project in Queensland and the 240 MW / 960 MWh Summer field battery storage project in South Australia.
“As Australia continues its energy transition, large-scale batteries will be essential for a reliable energy supply, bringing more renewables online and easing pressure on wholesale prices,” Jarvis said. “Batteries can respond immediately to changes in supply and demand, which is why they are becoming a core part of Australia’s sustainable energy future.”
Battery equipment for the fourth phase of the Eraring battery will be supplied by Finnish technology group Wärtsilä and design and construction services will be provided by South Australia-based contractor Enerven.
Origin said it expects phase four of the battery to come online in the first quarter of calendar year 2027, with all other phases of the project progressing on schedule.
