The Australian arm of French renewables giant Neoen is seeking development approval to build a massive battery energy storage system of up to 1000MW/4000MWh near the Western Australia coal town of Collie.
In planning documents published here, Neoen says it is seeking approval from the Shire of Collie and the Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel (JDAP) to build the “Collie Battery” in 200MW/800MWh stages “as needed” to meet energy storage demand in the region.
The documents say a 200MW/400MWh first stage of the Collie Battery, alone, would have the theoretical capacity to power 260,000 households for one hour, while also standing ready “to pump power into the grid in the event of a shortfall from other electricity generators.”
The plans for the Collie big battery follow the Western Australia Labor government’s July announcement that it will close WA’s remaining state-owned coal fired generators – the Muja and Collie power stations – by 2030.
