The first phase of Origin Energy’s Eraring BESS (battery energy storage system) is now operational, with the first battery unit boasting 460MW/1770MWh of storage.
In a LinkedIn post, Origin executive general manager – energy supply and operations Greg Jarvis credited those involved with delivering the project.
“This milestone is the culmination of a huge amount of work from our teams and contractor partners Wärtsilä, Enerven, Jacobs, Lumea and Transgrid to build the asset on time and under budget, integrate it into our portfolio, and develop the systems needed to bid it into the market,” he said.
In December, Origin committed $80 million to build a fourth stage of the Eraring BESS, with construction to commence by the end of 2025 and the BESS to be operational by the first quarter of 2027. This will support a 700MW/3160MWh operation.
“This next stage of the Eraring big battery adds 360MWh 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.
“As Australia continues its energy transition, large-scale batteries will be essential for reliable supply of energy, supporting more renewables coming online and helping ease pressure on wholesale prices.”
Jarvis said the Eraring BESS will help cover the evening peak, responding instantly to changes in electricity supply and demand.
The Eraring project sits within Origin’s 1.7GW portfolio of owned and tolled BESS, with other batteries including the Mortlake power station in Victoria, the Summerfield BESS in South Australia (under a 10-year offtake with Origin) and the Supernode BESS in Queensland (stage one under a long-term offtake with Origin).
Subscribe to Energy and discover all you need to know about the energy transition.
