The McGowan Government‘s 2023-24 State Budget will provide a significant boost to efforts to combat climate change, with a $3 billion investment to help reach net zero emissions by 2050.
The 2023-24 Budget will include $2.8 billion for energy storage, wind power generation, and transmission network enhancements on the State’s main electrical system to ensure Western Australians (WA) have cleaner, more dependable, and more affordable energy in the future.
“This major investment in the 2023-24 State Budget will deliver cleaner energy that’s reliable and affordable, building a stronger future for Western Australia.” Premier Mark McGowan said.
According to the WA Government, the significant investment will help to replace the generation capacity of State-owned coal-fired power facilities, which will be decommissioned by 2030, to guarantee WA has a stable and secure electricity supply.
The State Government will invest $2.3 billion as part of the financing package to provide extra battery storage on the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
“The South West Interconnected System, our main electricity grid, is in the middle of a significant transformation: moving from a high-emissions, thermal generation base, to a low-emissions, renewable future,” Energy Minister Bill Johnston said.
It includes funding for a battery energy storage system in Collie, which has the potential to be one of the world’s largest, capable of supplying 500 megawatts (MW) for up to four hours. The system is expected to be operational by the end of 2025.
It also includes funding for the 200MW Kwinana Battery Energy Storage System 2 (KBESS2), which will offer four hours of storage in addition to the existing Kwinana Big Battery.
These large-scale batteries will be critical to WA’s energy future, gathering surplus energy from the State’s massive rooftop solar resources during the day and releasing green energy when required at peak times.
The State Budget includes $368 million for up to 210MW of large-scale renewable energy generation projects to provide green electricity to homes and businesses, including a new wind farm at King Rocks and the potential expansion of Bright Energy Investments’ existing 180MW Warradarge Wind Farm near Eneabba.
Together with the previously announced Water Corporation investment in Stage 2 of the Flat Rocks wind farm, these projects form the initial pipeline earmarked for development in June 2022, when the State Government announced the retirement of State-owned coal-fired power stations.
It builds on the $126 million investment in energy network planning and upgrading announced earlier this week accompanying the SWIS Demand Assessment study to assist businesses and government in reaching net zero emissions by 2050.
“These projects will help to decarbonise our main electricity grid, and Western Australian households as a result, facilitating the retirement of State-owned coal-fired power by 2030 while ensuring a stable and reliable electricity system,” Premier MacGowan said.
According to Minister Johnston, the State Government’s large investments in wind generation, storage, and transmission infrastructure represent a vital step forwards in that transformation.
“This significant investment in battery storage in this Budget will ensure new renewable generation is ‘firmed’ so electricity supply can always meet demand in an increasingly green grid,” Minister Johnston added.
