Trina Storage, the utility-scale energy storage unit of Trinasolar, will supply its Elementa DC-coupled storage solution for Stage One of Frontier Energy’s Waroona Renewable Energy Project, located around 120 km south of Perth. The project pairs 132 MW of solar with an 81.5 MW/6.9-hour BESS. First generation is targeted for 2028.
The battery will use lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells produced at Trina’s Changzhou plant, with liquid cooling and fire safety systems including heat, gas and smoke detection and active fire suppression. The system will be DC-coupled, allowing the battery to draw directly from the solar array’s DC output before conversion to AC – a design Trina said adds engineering complexity but can reduce clipped solar generation and conversion losses.
According to CIS Tender 6 documentation and Frontier Energy disclosures, Stage One was awarded storage revenue support through Australia’s federal Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) after being selected in the program’s sixth tender round. According to separate Frontier Energy financing announcements, the company announced a conditional AUD 110 million ($78.4 million) equity placement and up to approximately AUD 280 million in credit-approved debt facilities during 2026, which Frontier said were expected to cover construction and commissioning costs.
Warrick Stapleton, head of sales for the Asia-Pacific region at Trina Storage, said the company worked closely with Frontier throughout procurement to align its technology with the project’s requirements. The agreement includes a 20-year warranty and performance guarantees, which Stapleton said would support the project’s long-term operation and financing.
“As Western Australia continues its energy transition, projects such as Waroona will play an increasingly important role in providing reliable, dispatchable capacity to the South West Interconnected System,” Stapleton said.
Adam Kiley, chief executive of Frontier Energy, said Stage One forms the foundation of a broader development strategy for the site. Frontier’s longer-term plans for Waroona target as much as 1,000 MW of solar generation and 660 MW of battery storage by 2031, according to the company’s Australian Securities Exchange filings, though later stages remain subject to further feasibility studies, approvals and network-access work with Western Power.
According to CIS Tender 6 project listings and related project disclosures, Waroona’s approximately 565 MWh battery is smaller than several other storage projects awarded through the same tender round, including the 200 MW/1,518 MWh Collie Battery and Solar Hybrid Project and Neoen’s 200 MW/1,600 MWh Yathroo Battery. Frontier’s initial feasibility material had described an earlier, smaller configuration for Waroona – 120 MWdc of solar paired with an 80 MW/380 MWh battery.
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