Global law firm Ashurst has advised Akaysha Energy on its successful bid to develop, own and operate the Waratah Super Battery Project, which is set to become one of the largest committed utility scale batteries in the world.
The Waratah Super Battery is a battery energy storage system (BESS) of 850 MW / 1,680 MWh that will provide a System Integrity Protection Scheme service capable of delivering 700 MW of continuous active power generation for a period of two hours (SIPS Service). The SIPS Service is designed to increase transmission capacity for generation in regional NSW to supply the Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong load centres.
The landmark battery project will be the largest standby network battery in the Southern Hemisphere, and is likely to be one of the most powerful BESSs in the world when operational. It will enhance the investment of new renewable generation and provide critical transmission grid support in NSW, which is particularly crucial given the anticipated closure of the Eraring Power Station in 2025.
Ashurst assisted Akaysha Energy in preparing its tender submission and legal advice on a suite of project documents as part of a competitive procurement process launched by EnergyCo in June 2022.
Partner Paul Curnow commented: “We are delighted to have assisted Akaysha Energy in being appointed to develop the Waratah Super Battery. This project will bring greater reliability to the power grid in NSW and play an important role in supporting Australia’s transition to a renewable energy future.”
Partner Kate Phillips added: “The Waratah Super Battery will set the benchmark for battery energy storage systems and encourage investment in new renewable generation. We are delighted that Akaysha Energy has been appointed to this important role and look forward to working with them on further projects to secure the energy future of NSW and Australia.”
The Ashurst team was led by partners Paul Curnow and Kate Phillips, who were assisted by: senior associates Mike Webb and Kate Latta, and associates Joshua Hetzel and Lucinda Merrett (International Projects Group), with support across the firm from: counsel Lixian Liang (IPG), partner Olivia Lau and senior associate Andrew Higgins (Transport & Infrastructure); partner Rebecca Dixon and counsel Rachel Daniel (Planning, Access and Environment) and partner Georgia Quick (Disputes).
