Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd., the biggest electric car battery producer, will supply energy storage systems to Western Australia as the state aims to meet a target to phase out coal power by 2030.
Premier Roger Cook’s government awarded A$1 billion ($644 million) of contracts under plans to build or expand battery farms at defunct and retiring coal plant sites in Kwinana and Collie, according to a Tuesday statement. The operations are intended to supplement new renewable power generation capacity.
“Battery energy storage systems will play a key role in our decarbonization plans, storing excess renewable energy generated in the day and discharging during times of high demand,” Cook said in the statement.
Read more: Western Australia to Phase Out State-Run Coal Plants by 2030
The Collie battery is expected to be online by the end of 2025 and offer about 500 megawatts for as long as four hours when fully charged, according to Synergy, the state-owned utility. A second-stage expansion at Kwinana will add 200 megawatts of capacity by the end of next year.
Power Electronics will supply inverters for the projects, according to the statement.
