Origin Energy Australia Plans to Add 4.9GWh Energy Storage Project

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 6, Origin Energy disclosed a new round of expansion plans for the Eraring energy storage site, proposing to add a 500MW long-duration energy storage system adjacent to the existing battery energy storage project in Eraring, New South Wales. The new project is planned to have approximately 4.9GWh of usable energy storage capacity and a design discharge duration of 8 hours. It has currently entered the federal environmental approval and New South Wales major development project approval processes.

The proposed Eraring BESS North will be located near the existing Phase 1 and Phase 2 energy storage facilities, covering approximately 11 hectares, and will utilize Eraring's existing transmission and grid connection infrastructure. The New South Wales planning portal lists the project scale as 500MW/4924MWh, with the current status being preparation of environmental assessment requirements; Origin's own project materials describe the expansion plan as a 500MW, 8-hour configuration.

The existing Eraring energy storage project is being built in phases, with Phase 1 at 460MW/1770MWh having entered operation in the National Electricity Market in early 2026, and Phase 2 at 240MW/1390MWh currently under construction, with commissioning planned for the first quarter of 2027. Once both phases are fully completed, the existing project will reach a total scale of 700MW/3160MWh, with an average storage duration of approximately 4.5 hours.

If the northern expansion project proceeds as currently planned, the total registered capacity of the Eraring energy storage site will increase to approximately 1200MW, with total usable energy storage capacity of approximately 8600MWh. The new project will add long-duration peak-shaving capability and, together with the existing energy storage facilities, will undertake evening peak discharge and renewable energy integration and regulation tasks.

Origin currently plans to commence construction in 2028 after completing environmental and planning approvals, with a target for commercial operation in the first half to mid-2031. Meanwhile, the four units of the Eraring coal-fired power station are currently planned to operate until April 30, 2029, with the energy storage facility expansion advancing in parallel with the site transformation following the power station's retirement.