A major renewable energy project that is most likely going to be built in the Hunter has been declared as Critical State Significant Infrastructure.
The Waratah Super Battery will have a capacity of 700 megawatts and be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere essentially acting like a giant shock absorber so that transmission capacity currently kept in reserve can be freed up to transfer energy to consumers.
The NSW Government is yet to decide on a location but there is a push for it to be built on the former Lake Munmorah Power Station site at Doyalson near Lake Macquarie.
The battery will partially offset the closure of Eraring Power Station which was brought forward by Origin Energy to 2025.
Treasurer and Minister for Energy Matt Kean said the declaration of the Waratah Super Battery to be Critical State Significant Infrastructure, recognises the immediate priority of the project.
“The Waratah Super Battery, with a capacity of 700MW, will be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere, acting as a giant shock absorber so that transmission capacity currently kept in reserve can be freed up to transfer energy to consumers,” Mr Kean said.
“By having these strong connections and batteries in place, more energy will be available to everyone and further improve the grid’s reliability, meaning prices will come down and power bills across the state will be lower.”
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