The Australian government has announced a major expansion of clean energy development in Western Australia, awarding contracts for 1.9 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy and 3.7 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of battery storage under the latest Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tenders 5 and 6. The initiative is designed to strengthen electricity supply as the state phases out coal-fired power and moves toward a more sustainable energy system.
The total value of the awarded projects is estimated at around AU$5 billion (US$3.5 billion). Along with environmental benefits, the projects are expected to provide a strong boost to the local economy. Officials project more than 7,000 construction jobs during the build phase and around 500 long-term jobs for operations and maintenance once the projects are completed.
Tender 5 focused on renewable energy generation and awarded contracts to seven major projects. These include six wind farms and one hybrid solar-battery project. Companies such as Neoen Australia secured two wind projects named Yathroo and Narrogin. Other winners included Shell Energy, SynergyRED, Tilt Renewables, and Zephyr Energy. A key highlight of this round was the Killawarra Hybrid Project developed by Trina Solar, which combines 350 MW of solar capacity with 2.1 GWh of battery storage, making it the only solar-plus-storage project selected in this round.
Tender 6 focused on dispatchable energy capacity, which refers to power that can be supplied to the grid whenever needed. This round awarded three large battery storage projects with a combined capacity of nearly 3.7 GWh. These projects are being developed by companies including Enpowered, Plenary Group, Neoen, and Frontier Energy. The batteries will provide long-duration storage of seven to eight hours, which is important for balancing supply when solar or wind generation is low.
Western Australia’s South West Interconnected System (SWIS) is the largest isolated electricity grid in the world. Since it is not connected to other major grids, it cannot import electricity during shortages. This makes local renewable generation and large-scale storage essential for maintaining stability and energy security.
Both federal and state governments have stated that these projects are a major step toward achieving Western Australia’s target of ending coal-fired power generation by 2030. All selected projects are expected to be operational before that deadline. In addition to energy development, project developers have committed more than AU$230 million toward community programs and First Nations initiatives, aiming to ensure that the clean energy transition also delivers social and economic benefits to local and indigenous communities.
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