The Waratah Super Battery has been designed as a shock absorber for NSW’s electricity grid. When extreme weather, bushfires or surging demand threaten outages, this $1 billion project will step in to keep the system stable and the lights on.
Now connected to the grid and on track to be fully commissioned this year, it is the largest battery energy storage system (BESS) ever built in the country. Waratah represents a major step forward in grid stability and offers a glimpse of how large-scale storage will shape Australia’s energy future.
The Waratah Super Battery project
Located on the site of the former Munmorah coal-fired power station on the NSW Central Coast, the Waratah Super Battery has a capacity of 850MW/1,680MWh, according to the Energy Institute. Designed as a system integrity protection scheme (SIPS), it maintains power flow during emergencies such as bushfires, lightning strikes, and storms. In critical moments, it can inject energy into the grid within seconds, ensuring households and businesses remain connected to a stable supply.
The battery has been connected to the grid since late 2024, with the first 350MW/700MWh stage switched on in September. It is on track to be fully commissioned later this year, meaning every component will be operational and integrated into the grid. Remarkably, it can be fully charged in just two hours and discharge at full power within seconds.
NSW Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, described the project as “a crucial addition” to the state’s infrastructure: helping power homes and businesses, stabilising the grid to avoid blackouts, and putting downward pressure on electricity prices. By allowing more energy to move safely through existing transmission lines, the project also reduces the need to build new infrastructure, which means lower costs for consumers while supporting the renewable energy transition.
More than just a battery, the project integrates advanced control systems, paired generation services and transmission upgrades, enabling NSW’s grid to carry more renewable energy without risking instability. The system continuously monitors 36 transmission lines and coordinates both the battery and existing generators to maintain balance when faults occur, making Waratah the nation’s largest grid protection system.
Its significance has already been recognised internationally, winning the Best Public Sector Energy Transition Initiative award at the 2025 Smart Energy Excellence Awards. This accolade highlights the project’s pivotal role in helping Australia transition confidently to a more reliable, renewable-powered electricity system.
Who’s behind the Waratah Super Battery?
Supplied by EnergyCo
The Waratah Super Battery is being developed by Akaysha Energy, appointed by EnergyCo NSW to deliver the $1 billion project. EnergyCo is working tirelessly to build a better energy system for NSW now and into the future, and Arche is proud to be part of their team, having supported EnergyCo since 2021 on the Central-West Orana and New England renewable energy zones.
Beyond its size, the project’s design also creates economic opportunities. As Akaysha explains, “The size of the Waratah Super Battery also allows Akaysha to trade the additional capacity in the electricity market, placing further downward pressure on the cost to electricity users in NSW.”
For Akaysha, as the project developer, energy trading provides a vital revenue stream that strengthens the commercial case for large-scale storage. For households and businesses, it increases available supply and helps reduce prices over time, while easing pressure to build new transmission infrastructure.
By combining technical innovation, strong public leadership and expert consulting, the Waratah Super Battery demonstrates how large-scale storage can deliver both stability and affordability to the grid.
Beyond the Waratah Super Battery
The Waratah Super Battery demonstrates what’s possible when large-scale storage is integrated into the grid, but it cannot operate independently. Australia’s energy system faces urgent challenges from rising demand, the retirement of coal plants and increasingly extreme weather. As renewable generation expands, more BESS projects will be essential to firm supply, prevent blackouts and keep downward pressure on electricity prices.
Delivering these projects requires deep technical, financial and regulatory expertise. Expert consultants play a critical role in aligning technical design, financial modelling, regulatory compliance, and community outcomes. With the right advice, Australia can build on the success of Waratah and scale up BESS nationwide, accelerating the transition to a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy future.