Australia’s Origin to expand Eraring battery project

Australian utility Origin will expand the battery energy storage system (BESS) at the site of its 2,880MW Eraring coal-fired power station in News South Wales (NSW), as part of its strategy to pivot to renewable energy.

The A$450mn ($294mn) investment will add 240MW of four-hour duration supply to the 460MW, two-hour BESS already under construction as part of the project's first stage, Origin said on 25 July.

Agreements for equipment supply and construction have been made with stage two construction to begin in early 2025 before the expansion comes on line during January-March 2027. Equipment will be provided by Finnish engineering firm Wartsila, which is also building the first stage of the BESS.

The sanctioning of Eraring's second stage brings the firm's total commitment on storage to 1.5GW, with Origin agreeing in January to outlay A$400mn on a 300MW BESS along with the firm's 550MW Mortlake gas-fired power plant in Victoria.

Origin and the NSW Labor state government agreed in May to keep Eraring, Australia's largest single power plant, open for at least two more years as part of a deal to maintain capacity because of delays with replacement projects.

Australia is struggling to replace its retiring coal-fired power generation because of cost blowouts and delays for renewable projects.

By Tom Major