March 8th, 2025Big battery build begins in state shift to renewables
Construction of EnergyAustralia’s 350 megawatt (MW) four-hour Wooreen Battery to store renewable energy has begun at the old Jeeralang Power Station site in Victoria’s Hazelwood North.
The battery will store enough energy to power 230,000 homes over a four-hour period before needing to be recharged.
Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio late last week announced the start of the project that will generate 80 jobs during construction, with the battery to be complete and ready to start charging up the grid with cheap renewable energy in 2027.
For every gigawatt of battery storage built, three gigawatts of new renewable energy can come online, delivering more cheap electricity into the grid and reduce power prices.
The Wooreen Battery is part of the state government’s Structured Transition Agreement (STAs) with EnergyAustralia – helping workers and industry prepare for the closure of Yallourn in 2028.
The STAs will focus on helping workers retrain, reskill, and find new opportunities, which includes a tailored worker and supply chain transition programs, a worker transfer scheme. Expansion of training and apprenticeship programs is also aimed at creating a new supply of skilled workers.
Victoria is becoming home to big batteries with 12 currently operational, with another 13 under construction or undergoing commissioning, pushing the state towards meeting the first renewable energy storage target of at least 2 gigawatts by 2030.
The Wooreen Battery has been made possible through financial backing from the Albanese Labor Government’s Capacity Investment Scheme which ensures developers will build enough cheap, clean, renewable energy and storage to replace ageing coal fired generators as they retire.
Victoria is on track to deliver 95 per cent renewable energy generation by 2035.
As more large amounts of solar and wind come online, large-scale storage has been identified as key to storing renewable energy from these new projects to further drive down bills for Victorians.
Victorian Minister for Energy and Resources Lily D’Ambrosio: “The Wooreen Battery will help the Latrobe Valley continue to be the state’s energy generation powerhouse and allow for more renewable projects to be built in the area.”
“We’re making sure our new renewable energy projects continue to drive down bills for Victorian households and create jobs in the regional communities that host them.”
Federal Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen: “It doesn’t always rain but we can drink water every day because we store it. In the same way, batteries will store the huge amount of clean, cheap, renewable energy that Australia can generate from its world beating sun and wind resources.”
“Switching to clean reliable renewable energy isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for power bills, and it’s great for good, secure jobs.
“It’s why Labor is supporting the delivery of more of the cheapest form of energy this decade, rather than waiting twenty years for a nuclear scheme that will cost taxpayers $600 billion, push up bills and flood our atmosphere will billions of tonnes more in emissions.”
This story based on a state government media announcement. Image: Supplied
