Batteries are key to a new energy era, and one Australian state is leading the way

Australia is a leader in using batteries for energy. One state is showing how batteries can be a major part of the energy system.

At a site in Kwinana, near Perth, there are many white containers with air conditioners on them. These containers hold thousands of battery cells.

These cells are not for regular use. They are part of a big battery system.

This system is one of the biggest in Western Australia.

The state-owned power company, Synergy, built this facility and another one. They started working in 2023 and 2024.

Since then, four more big batteries have started working. This has increased the state's battery power four times in just over a year.

At full power, these batteries can provide energy to most homes in the Perth area during the evening peak.

The CEO of Synergy, Kurt Baker, has a special connection to this project. He used to work at a coal-fired power station near the site.

The area where the battery now sits used to be a coal storage area. The old power station will be torn down soon.

Mr. Baker says the Kwinana site shows how the energy industry is changing.

Growth is happening fast.

Battery use is increasing worldwide. Australia is one of the leaders in this growth.

A report says 2025 was the year batteries became a main part of the energy system.

Batteries are now used to store extra energy from the day and release it at night.

On the east coast of Australia, energy from batteries has tripled in the past year.

In Western Australia, batteries are being added very quickly. Just a few years ago, there were no batteries connected to the grid.

Now, there are about 1,400 megawatts of battery power. This is three times the power of the largest coal-fired power station in the state.

This is enough energy to power homes in Perth during the evening peak.

Batteries are helping to move energy from when it's made during the day to when it's needed at night.

Mr. Baker says Western Australia is now leading in the use of batteries.

The state has the most batteries compared to the size of its energy system.

This fast adoption is having a big impact on the energy system.

Batteries help stabilize prices.

An analyst says batteries have reduced price volatility in Western Australia.

Before, prices would drop when there was too much solar power. Now, batteries can store this extra energy.

At times when there's not enough energy, prices would rise. Batteries help reduce this volatility.

The analyst says the energy system is wasting a lot of clean power. But batteries can help store this energy.

When there's not enough sun or wind, prices rise. Batteries help stabilize these prices.

Power stations are retiring.

The Western Australian government decided to close its coal-fired power stations by the end of the decade.

The state's coal plants were losing money due to rooftop solar.

A third coal plant was not affected by this decision.

Rooftop solar was reducing the revenue of coal plants.

The energy minister says the take-up of solar was challenging for the grid. But it's also an opportunity to use batteries.

The minister says Western Australia's energy needs drove its adoption of battery technology.

Unlike other states, Western Australia is not connected to the national grid. It must rely on itself for energy.

The state needs reserve capacity to meet peak demand.

Global energy companies are watching Western Australia's transformation.

A battery technology company says the rise of batteries is happening at a massive scale.

In the US, about half of all energy projects are batteries.

Batteries are becoming a major part of the energy system.

Australia is one of the hottest markets for batteries.

The company is building a big battery project in New South Wales.

There are many battery projects under construction in Australia.

Batteries will play a bigger role in the energy transition.

They will help keep the grid stable.

Traditional power plants have provided stability to the grid. But batteries can do this better.

Batteries can react faster than traditional power plants.

They can absorb and release energy quickly.

Batteries are already having an impact on the energy market.

In Western Australia, Synergy's CEO says time will tell if the state has enough battery capacity.

The pace of change in the energy industry has been staggering.

As long as renewable energy replaces coal, batteries and gas will be needed.

The lowest-cost energy in Western Australia will come from renewables and batteries.

Batteries are critical to the energy system.

They will continue to be a part of the energy system in Western Australia.

This article was published on May 28, 2026.

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