Installation works for one of Australia’s largest battery storage systems are now complete as Western Australia’s energy transition powers ahead.
All 640 batteries and 160 inverters are now installed at Synergy’s 500MW Collie BESS (battery energy storage system).
A key part of Western Australia’s energy transition, the battery is set to be one of the largest in Australia – and on 23 April 2025, Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, joined Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, and Western Australian Minister for Energy and Decarbonisation, Amber-Jade Sanderson, on-site to mark the occasion.
Commissioning works are now underway, and once complete, the 500MW/2000MWh BESS will be able to power around 785,000 homes, and is on track to begin operations in summer 2025–26.
The Collie battery is Synergy’s third grid-connected battery, with two battery energy storage systems in Kwinana (KBESS1 and KBESS2) now helping to ensure the reliability of Western Australia’s energy system.
Local Western Australian construction company SCEE Electrical led the installation work, which created more than 500 jobs.
Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, said that the state government is working to diversify the economy for the future, position Western Australia at the forefront of the clean energy transition and create skilled local jobs for the future.
“We are investing more than $5.7 billion towards renewable energy generation, transmission and storage,” Mr Cook said.
“Our investment in battery storage in Western Australia 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.”
Western Australian Energy and Decarbonisation Minister, Amber-Jade Sanderson, said Synergy’s Collie battery will play a critical role in Western Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050 and delivers on the State Government’s commitment to power Western Australia with cleaner, reliable and affordable energy.
“It is exciting to see how Synergy’s Collie battery is progressing in time for summer,” Ms Sanderson said.
“Western Australia 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 State Government focused on delivering jobs and new industries for Collie and the surrounding region.
“The completion of installation works at Synergy’s Collie BESS shows us that Collie will continue to be at the heart of Western Australia’s main electricity system.”
