Wärtsilä has been selected by Origin Energy to deliver the second stage of the Eraring battery facility at Origin’s Eraring Power Station in New South Wales, Australia. Wärtsilä will add 240 MW/1030 MWh during stage two and will bring the facility’s total capacity to 700 MW/2103 MWh. Origin selected Wärtsilä for stage one of the project in Q2 2023 and that is currently in the delivery process.
The stage two BESS will operate in Virtual Synchronous Machine (VISMA) mode, enabling short circuit current capabilities such as reactive current, droop control and synthetic inertia, to support grid stability and security. These capabilities, known as system strength support services, will be supplied by Wärtsilä’s intelligent EMS, the GEMS digital energy platform.
Stage two will be built using Wärtsilä’s Quantum High Energy, a next-generation storage system said to show advanced safety features and energy density. It is claimed to offer increased energy density while lowering equipment costs and reducing maintenance requirements. Wärtsilä is also providing a long-term service agreement to Origin for the supplied equipment.
Construction of stage two will begin in early 2025 and is expected to be completed in early 2027. Wärtsilä is currently in the process of delivering the first stage of the Eraring battery, which totals 460 MW/1073 MWh, and is expected to reach commercial operation at the end of 2025.
