China's largest power battery manufacturer Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited (CATL), a firm specialising in lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and energy storage systems, will supply liquid-cooled battery systems for the 500MW Collie battery ESS and a 200MW Kwinana battery ESS.
CATL's contract consists of 300 EnerC Plus, or containerised liquid-cooling ESS units, for Kwinana and about 650 of the same units for Collie. The planned A$625mn 800MWh Kwinana battery ESS 2 project is under way and expected to be completed in late 2024.
Spanish electric utility manufacturer Power Electronics will supply the inverters for both systems.
"Battery ESS will play a key role in our decarbonisation plans, storing excess renewable energy generated in the day and discharging during times of high demand," WA premier Roger Cook said on 19 September. "We're putting WA on the path to becoming a global green energy superpower, which is good for jobs, good for the environment, and will keep our economy strong into the future."
The longer-duration Collie battery ESS is expected to be operational by October 2025 and provide four hours or 2,000MWh of electricity to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), the power grid supplying state capital Perth and most of WA's population.
Total spending on the twin battery ESS projects announced in the 2023-24 state budget is expected to reach A$2.7bn, the government said on 11 May.
WA has pledged to close its Collie and Muja coal-fired generators by 2029, both operated by state-owned utility Synergy. About one third of SWIS' power comes from black coal generators presently, with around a further third each produced by gas and renewables, according to National Electricity Market data.
