Origin Energy has announced that it has selected Wärtsilä as its preferred contractor to deliver the first phase of a 460MW energy storage project at the Eraring Power Station in New South Wales, Australia. The order is expected to be booked in the third quarter of 2023, with equipment delivery scheduled from October 2023 to September 2024.
The Eraring battery project is a crucial step towards achieving a sustainable energy future in Australia. It will be connected to Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM) and support energy security and reliability in New South Wales as the share of renewable energy supply increases. Origin Energy may even expand the battery capacity to 700MW in the future.
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Commenting on the announcement, Håkan Agnevall, President and CEO of Wärtsilä, said, “With significant solar and wind resources, Australia is in a unique position to rapidly decarbonise its energy sector. Flexible capacity, provided by energy storage projects like Origin's Eraring battery or grid balancing engines, will be vital to achieving that as the share of renewables increases. The scale of this project positions Wärtsilä at the heart of that trend, delivering gigawatt-scale energy storage projects in each of our key markets around the world.”
Greg Jarvis, Head of Energy Supply and Operations at Origin Energy, highlighted the significance of the Eraring site, stating, “Eraring is a strategic site with high-quality connection infrastructure enabling us to deliver energy into major demand centers. Development of the battery 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.”
The Eraring battery project is a significant milestone in Origin Energy's transition towards sustainable energy production. It will provide a more reliable and secure source of energy as Australia continues to move towards renewable energy sources, reducing the nation's carbon footprint and contributing to a more sustainable future.
