Origin Energy selects Wartsila to supply huge NSW battery storage plant

Finnish equipment manufacturer Wartsila has been selected by Australia's Origin Energy to supply a 460 MW, 920 MWh battery storage system to Origin's Eraring Power Station in New South Wales, as the coal-based plant transitions towards renewables and storage, Wartsila said April 20.

The Eraring battery will connect to the wholesale National Electricity Market covering six eastern and southern states meeting 80% of Australian demand, it said.

The asset is "a key next step as we look to transform the Eraring site for the future, given our intention to exit coal-fired generation by as early as August 2025," said Greg Jarvis, Head of Energy Supply and Operations at Origin Energy.

"Eraring is a strategic site with high quality connection infrastructure enabling us to deliver energy into major demand centers," he said.

The companies had signed an engineered equipment delivery contract valued at just over Eur300 million ($329 million), Wartsila's largest single energy storage deal, the Finnish firm said.

The order is expected to be booked by Q3 2023 with equipment delivery from October 2023 to September 2024.

Origin Energy may elect to expand the battery to 700 MW and 2,800 MWh in the future, Wartsila said.

The 2.92 GW Eraring power station is Australia's largest, accounting for 25% of New South Wales' power requirements.

In 2022 Origin notified the Australian Energy Market Operator of the potential early retirement of Eraring in August 2025.