French independent power producer Neoen confirmed today (29 October) that stage one of the 219MW/877MWh Collie battery energy storage system (BESS) in Western Australia has been completed.
The BESS, installed as part of state-owned Synergy’s wider 500MW/2,000MWh Collie project, becomes Neoen Australia’s first 4-hour duration BESS to successfully enter operation and be connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS). This system links urban areas such as Albany, Bunbry, Perth, Merredin, Kalgoorlie, and Geraldton in Western Australia.
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Construction started on the BESS in March 2024, and it has been completed sooner than expected. The company initially expected it to connect to the grid in 2025.
Neoen confirmed that the second stage of the Collie BESS, which will see a further 341MW/1,363MWh installed and connected to the grid, is currently under construction and expected to be completed in 2025.
When fully completed, the BESS will feature 640 units in total. China-headquartered battery manufacturer CATL, is providing the Collie project with its EnerC containerised lithium iron phosphate (LFP) BESS solution.
Commenting on the project earlier this month, Roger Cook, premier of Western Australia, said the BESS will keep Collie at the “heart of the state’s energy system”.
“The Collie battery will be one of the biggest in Australia, and means we can deliver clean, affordable and reliable energy for Western Australia for decades to come,” Cook added.
It is worth mentioning that the system is located at the site of Collie Power Station, a coal-fired power plant scheduled for decommissioning in 2027. The battery storage project is one of two being funded with AU$2.3 billion (US$1.52 billion) from the Western Australia State Budget 2023-2024.
The project, which will cost around AU$1.6 billion to construct fully, received planning approval from the Western Australian government for the BESS in December 2023.
Neoen has emerged as a frontrunner in the Australian BESS market. It delivered the 300MW/450MWh Victorian Big Battery in the state of the same name and currently has other projects in construction or development in the country, including the 200MW/400MWh Western Downs Battery in Queensland and another 400MWh project in South Australia.
Neoen to be acquired by Brookfield
A major development ongoing with Neoen is its acquisition by global investment group Brookfield.
Earlier this year (30 May), Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management clean energy arm Brookfield Renewable and Singapore-headquartered investment trust Temasek negotiated with Neoen’s shareholders to secure a 53.32% stake in the company.
The deal values the French IPP at €6.1 billion (U$6.6 billion), and the tender offer is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2025, pending regulatory approvals that Brookfield said it expected to receive by Q4 of 2024.
Should the deal go ahead as expected, Brookfield Renewable will look to invest up to half a billion Euros in the acquisition.
