SCEE Electrical awarded $50 million for switchyard works at CBESS

SCEE Electrical has been awarded a $50 million contract to help link the Collie big battery energy storage system to the power grid.

Western Australian energy provider Synergy awarded the switchyard works to SCEE, to which it had awarded a $160 million contract in May, covering civil, electrical, and major equipment installation works at the project.

Parent company SCEE Group described the new $50 million switchyard package in an ASX statement as including civil and structural works, 330 kilovolt overhead line gantries, transformers, circuit breakers, surge arrestors, current/voltage transformers, a control room and a communications and SCADA system, “all tying into the Western Power network.” 

“This brings the total value of work for us on this project to approximately $210 [million] already, and I note there are many further battery projects to come here in Western Australia and in the rest of the country to support Australia reaching its net zero emissions targets,” said Graeme Dunn, Managing Director at SCEE Group in a statement on Friday. 

The $2.3 billion, 500 megawatt/2000 megawatt hour battery at Collie – also known as CBESS – is expected to be one of the biggest in the world at completion, scheduled for next year, according to the WA government.

“It means Collie will continue to play a vital role in the energy system for decades to come, having powered WA for over a century,” said Collie MLA Jodie Hanns.

“As we move to renewable energy and battery storage, this project adds to the legacy of a community who is committed to playing its role in the future energy needs of the State.”

The Collie big battery is one of three being built by Synergy for the state government, with Kwinana Battery Stage One in operation and Kwinana Battery Stage Two under construction and due to be completed later in 2024.

Picture: credit Synergy