Synergy awards $160m Collie battery contract

Synergy has awarded a $160 million contract to Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Limited for work on its major Collie battery project.

The contractor will undertake civil, electrical and major equipment installation works for the Collie Battery Energy Storage System, expected to be the largest in the state.

Synergy’s plans to build the major battery project got the green light from the state’s planning authorities in December, with a price tag of $1.6 billion.

It is expected to play a significant role in the state’s energy transition, alongside Synergy’s two other batteries in Kwinana, one of which is operational and the other under construction.

Under the contract, SCEE will install and commission about 640 battery container units, 160 inverters and 220 kilometres of high-voltage cabling, as well as managing a laydown facility at the Port of Bunbury.

Once up and running tipped for late-2025, the battery system will have 500 megawatt/2000MW hour capacity.

It would not only be the largest battery storage facility in Western Australia, but also one of the biggest it the world.

Peak construction is expected to support up to 500 jobs.

Energy Minister Reece Whitby said the contract meant more jobs for Western Australians, benefiting the local economy.

"Synergy's Collie battery will be a major piece of infrastructure when complete and will play a critical role in Western Australia achieving net zero emissions by 2050,” he said.

Also in the South West town, French company Neoen has commenced construction of a second grid-scale battery in Collie.

Neoen recently awarded CIMIC Group subsidiary UGL the contract to build and install the 341MW/1363MWh Collie battery stage two.

That will be in addition to Neoen’s stage one 219MW/877MWh project currently being installed by UGL, on track to commence operations in Q4 of 2024.