A landmark moment for Akaysha Energy and NSW

Akaysha Energy has reached final commercial operations at the Waratah Super Battery in New South Wales, marking a major milestone for one of the world's most powerful battery energy storage systems and a landmark energy infrastructure project for the state.

The announcement, dated 28 September 2026, closes out a project that has been closely watched as the battery component of a broader grid-strengthening initiative commissioned by the NSW Government.

The Waratah Super Battery is designed to deliver 850 megawatts of power and store 1,680 megawatt hours of energy. It was commissioned by the NSW Government and is built, owned, and operated by Akaysha Energy.

The project occupies the site of the former Munmorah coal-fired power station, placing one of the most powerful battery energy storage systems in the world on land once occupied by a coal-fired generator.

Akaysha Energy Chief Executive Officer Nick Carter described the achievement as a defining moment for the company and the state.

"Bringing the Waratah Super Battery to final commercial operations is a landmark moment for Akaysha Energy, our project partners and most importantly, for NSW," Carter said.

"We are proud of what has been delivered and are now focused on the role Waratah plays in supporting a more reliable, secure and renewable NSW electricity system."

How the Waratah Super Battery fits into the broader project

Waratah forms the battery component of the wider Waratah Super Battery Project, which also includes a System Integrity Protection Scheme Control System delivered by Transgrid.

Together, the battery and the control system are designed to help the grid respond quickly to disturbances. In the language used by the project's proponents, they act as a shock absorber for the electricity network, supporting the flow of more renewable energy across the transmission system.

The concept behind the pairing is that the battery's capacity is put to work not only as a storage asset but also as a tool for system security. By enabling the grid to absorb and respond to sudden disturbances, the Waratah Super Battery Project is intended to unlock additional transfer capability on the network, allowing more renewable generation to flow through the transmission system while maintaining reliability for consumers.

Investment and employment

The project attracted more than USD 1 billion in private investment. Approximately 1,000 people were involved across design and construction, including 170 workers on site during peak construction.

Those figures underline the scale of the undertaking, which required coordination across battery technology supply, electrical infrastructure, and system integration to reach final commercial operations.

Delivery partners acknowledged

In reaching the milestone, Akaysha Energy thanked EnergyCo, the NSW Government, Transgrid and its delivery partners for their commitment to delivering a project that strengthens system security and helps enable the state's energy transition.

The delivery partners named by the company are Consolidated Power Projects Australia, Hitachi Energy, Wilson Transformer Company, REPT Battero and EVE Energy.

The roster reflects the breadth of disciplines required to bring a facility of this scale to completion. Consolidated Power Projects Australia served as a delivery partner, while Hitachi Energy and Wilson Transformer Company were involved in the project's electrical infrastructure. REPT Battero and EVE Energy supplied battery technology for the facility.

Transgrid's role in delivering the System Integrity Protection Scheme Control System sits alongside Akaysha Energy's delivery of the battery itself, with the two elements designed to function together.

Context: a project years in the making

The path to final commercial operations has been progressive. A status update on the Waratah Super Battery was published by Akaysha Energy in November 2025, indicating the project was already operational ahead of the final commercial operations milestone announced in September 2026.

The company's other recent milestones include the announcement of a landmark offtake agreement between Akaysha Energy and Gunvor Group for Australian large-scale battery storage and the online connection of the company's Ulinda Park BESS Phase 1.

Akaysha Energy describes its mission as building a better, brighter tomorrow by building the world's most powerful battery energy storage system today, a framing that places Waratah at the center of the company's portfolio and of its proposition to the Australian energy market.

What comes next

With final commercial operations now achieved, Akaysha Energy says its focus shifts to the operational role the Waratah Super Battery will play in New South Wales.

According to the company, that role centers on supporting a more reliable, secure, and renewable electricity system for the state. The battery and the Transgrid-delivered control system will together serve as the shock absorber the project was designed to provide, helping the grid respond quickly to disturbances as more renewable energy moves across the transmission system.

For NSW, the completion of the project represents the culmination of a government-commissioned initiative to strengthen system security during the energy transition.

For Akaysha Energy and its partners, it marks the transition from construction to long-term operation of a facility designed to deliver 850 megawatts of power and 1,680 megawatt-hours of storage from the site of the former Munmorah coal-fired power station.

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