Australia’s Waratah Super Battery Now Operating at Full Capacity
Australia’s most-powerful battery has started operating at full capacity, adding vital rapid-response capacity to the electricity grid as ageing coal plants are retired and renewable generation expands.
The Australian Energy Market Operator approved the 1,680-megawatt-hour Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales to be fully switched on, the state government said Monday. The battery has been operating at partial capacity since August 2025.
Built at the site of a former coal-fired power station about 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Sydney, the battery is designed to act as a shock absorber for the electricity network by responding rapidly when transmission lines are disrupted by bushfires, fallen trees or lightning. At maximum output, it can supply the equivalent of as many as 340,000 homes during peak demand, according to the government.
“As ageing coal-fired power stations retire, this project will help keep the lights on for homes and businesses while enabling more renewable energy to flow through the grid,” New South Wales Energy Minister Penny Sharpe said in a statement.
Waratah is the largest battery operating in Australia by power output, according to BloombergNEF data, ahead of state-owned utility Synergy’s 500-megawatt Collie Energy Storage Project in Western Australia. Collie has greater storage capacity at 2,400 megawatt-hours, while a pipeline of larger battery projects is under development.
The Waratah project was commissioned by the government’s EnergyCo and built by BlackRock Inc. portfolio company Akaysha Energy Pty. Transmission operator TransGrid upgraded the surrounding network and will oversee the battery’s performance.