The Energy Corporation of New South Wales (EnergyCo) will launch a procurement process to identify battery developers and a location for the planned Waratah Super Battery, the largest planned network battery in the Southern Hemisphere.
Expressions of Interest (EOI) will open on 4 April, and will close on 2 May.
To ensure New South Wales has reliable energy supply following the closure of the Eraring Power Station in 2025, the State Government will install a 700MW standby network battery, the Waratah Super Battery, dedicated to supporting the transmission grid.
New South Wales Treasurer and Energy Minister, Matt Kean, said the new Super Battery will carry extra transmission capacity to handle power surges from bushfires or lighting strikes.
“The Waratah Super Battery will allow for more electricity to flow through the network, unlocking this excess capacity and supplying the families and businesses of New South Wales a reliable and stable energy supply,” Mr Kean said.
EnergyCo will hold a virtual Market Forum on 31 March to provide interested parties with an overview of the project and the competitive battery developer procurement process.
This process is distinct from, and separate to, the various renewable energy zone procurement processes that EnergyCo is undertaking.
Register your interest in the Market Forum here.
The procurement process timeline is:
- 31 March — Market Forum
- 1 April — Deadline for registrations to receive the EOI
- 4 April — EOI issued to registered parties
- 2 May — EOI submission deadline
- June – July 2022 — Invitation to Tender
- August – October 2022 — Tender evaluation
- November 2022 — Award and contract
Parties who would like to register to receive the EOI document are requested to provide the following information to EnergyCo via email by 4pm Friday 1 April:
To: electricity.roadmap@dpie.nsw.gov.au
Subject line: Registration to receive Waratah Super Battery EOI
Email content:
- Name of organisation
- Organisation summary (insert brief bullet point summary of organisation capability/why you are requesting this EOI)
- Contact details (insert name, phone number and email address of at least one person to whom the EOI document should be sent)
The Waratah Super Battery will be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere, and together with other minor transmission upgrades, it will allow Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong consumers to access more energy from existing electricity generation.
