May 12 (Reuters) - Australia's Origin Energy (ORG) said on Thursday it had received government approval for a battery development project at its Eraring plant as it plans to quit coal-fired power business.
NSW Department of Planning and Environment gave the approval after Australia's second-largest power producer in February announced plans to shut the country's biggest coal-fired plant in 2025, seven years earlier than scheduled.
Other power producers have also accelerated the closure of uneconomical coal-fired plants amid sliding power prices and an influx of wind and solar power.
The company plans to develop a big battery at the Eraring power station site with an overall capacity of up to 700 megawatts (MW) and a dispatch duration of four hours.
"Eraring Power Station is well suited to battery storage and potentially other energy infrastructure over time," said Greg Jarvis, head of energy supply and operations at Origin Energy.
Origin will now focus on finalising vendor and constructor negotiations and transmission connection agreements so the project can progress towards a final investment decision, Jarvis added.
News: ORG Australia's Origin Energy gets govt nod for battery development at Eraring plant
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