Western Australia network operator Western Power has granted two more network connection offers to two large-scale renewable energy projects, bringing its total for 2024/25 to 759MW.
The state-owned organisation responsible for building, maintaining, and operating the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), which spans the state’s southwest, including the capital Perth, confirmed that seven new generators have been granted network access offers across the year.
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Western Power confirmed that the latest projects to have been granted offers include a 120MW solar-plus-storage project and a 100MW battery energy storage system (BESS).
Matt Cheney, executive manager of energy transition and sustainability at Western Power, said the issuance of these offers signifies the beginning of grid connection work, which is a critical phase in the development journey of customers’ projects.
“Over the past year, we have been building a clearer picture of where renewable investment is likely to occur, future load forecasts, and project readiness,” Cheney said.
“Looking ahead, Western Power’s pipeline of connection-ready projects as of June 2025 is 12.81GW.”
The Waroona Renewable Energy Hub
The solar-plus-storage project that has been granted a network offer from Western Power is called the Waroona Renewable Energy Hub and is being pursued by Frontier Energy, a renewable energy developer.
It is being developed in the town of Waroona, located 110km south of Perth. The 120MW project is set to be developed in two stages; the first will include the 120MW solar PV power plant coupled with an 80MW/360MWh DC-coupled BESS.
Last year, Frontier Energy was forced to halt the development of the Waroona Renewable Energy Hub because it had missed out on Reserve Capacity Credits (RCCs) from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
However, its success in the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) earlier this year has led to the project’s development starting again.
The Merredin BESS
The other project to have received a network offer from Western Power is Atmos Renewables’ 100MW/400MWh Merredin BESS, a battery storage project being built approximately 7.5km southwest of Merredin, along the 650km Muja to Kalgoorlie 220kV transmission line.
Coincidentally, the Merredin BESS was another recipient of the CIS tender, which was the first to run in Western Australia. It followed success in Australia’s eastern and southern states in the National Electricity Market (NEM).
Renewable energy developer Nomad Energy first identified the potential for the Merredin BESS in 2022, with close proximity to key energy infrastructure in the state. Nomad partnered with Atmos Renewables to support the development of the BESS.
It is set to be built adjacent to the 132MW Merredin solar PV power plant being developed by Risen Energy.
