Green light for $1.6bn Collie battery

Synergy’s $1.6 billion plan to build the state’s largest battery storage facility in Collie has been given the go ahead by authorities.

A Regional Joint Development Assessment Panel today approved the project, which is expected to deliver 2,000 megawatt hours of storage, or 500MW of power capacity.

The storage facility is expected to play a significant role in the state’s energy transition, alongside a planned 200MW battery in Kwinana that will work with existing battery assets.  

Engineering consultant GHD submitted the proposal for the facility, which will add significant storage capacity to the South West Interconnected System.

The Collie Battery Energy Storage System will be Synergy’s second energy storage system and one of the largest in the world.

It will be the second large-scale battery storage system in the Collie area. French renewable energy company Neoen is currently building a 219MW facility expected to be operational by the end of 2024. 

Speaking at the JDAP, Shire of Collie director of development services Matt Young said the proposal addressed the shire’s concerns around planning, road access and bushfire management.

“The application has been able to demonstrate it meets all of those objectives,” he said.

Mr Young added that the project was both suitable from a land use and structure planning perspective.

Urbis is preparing a structure plan for the site, which sits within the Coolangatta industrial Estate and encompasses industrial and rural zones.

The site, on Boys Homes Road, sits near two existing power stations and near Griffin Coal's Ewington coal mine.

Mr Young said the project formed part of the state’s strategic response to Collie’s transition away from coal-fired power, and the region’s plan to identity long-term job opportunities for the community.

Questioned why there was no social impact assessment conducted on the development, Mr Young said the state’s energy responsibilities in terms of securing the energy grid, as well as the job impacts and benefits to the community, were fully understood.

The JDAP unanimously supported the development, and councillors in the meeting said the level of support reflected the sentiment of the local community.