The South West town of Collie, which has been the lifeblood of WA’s coal-powered electricity needs for generations, has been tipped to host the biggest renewable-energy battery in Australia, again putting the town at the forefront of the green energy revolution.
Up to $1 million has been committed for the first stage of a feasibility study into the Collie Battery and Hydrogen Industrial Hub Project.
A 600 to 800-megawatt hour battery would be a key feature of the hub, set to be four times the size of Tesla’s big battery in South Australia.
Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan and Collie-Preston MLA Jodie Hanns announced the State Government pledge at a forum in the town on Friday morning, naming eminent energy expert Ross Garnaut as the chair to lead the study through his green-energy think tank Sunshot Energy.
The group will assess the economic case for establishing a hydrogen electrolyser — powered by renewable energy — which could also create green ammonia and urea biproducts for agricultural and industrial application.