Press Release | Sydney, Australia | 28.09.2026 | 3 min read
Hitachi Energy supplied, installed, and commissioned 288 power conversion systems and two power plant controllers for the project, creating the digital architecture that orchestrates the battery’s real-time response.
Sydney, Sep. 28, 2026 - Hitachi Energy, a global leader in electrification, today marked the final commercial operations at the Waratah Super Battery, a major milestone for one of the world’s most powerful battery energy storage systems and a landmark energy infrastructure project for New South Wales.
The Waratah Super Battery is designed to deliver 850 megawatts (MW) of power and store 1,680 megawatt hours (MWh) of energy. The project was commissioned and overseen by EnergyCo and the NSW Government and is built, owned, and operated by Akaysha Energy.
It’s Australia’s most powerful battery system, which is also wired into the country’s most innovative and largest monitoring and control system known as the System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS), operated by Transmission Network Service Provider Transgrid.
It means the battery can charge and discharge energy to the grid when needed and also acts as a giant shock absorber by detecting grid disturbances in milliseconds and triggering a battery response to maintain system reliability.
Hitachi Energy supplied, installed, and commissioned 288 power conversion systems and two power plant controllers for the project, creating the digital architecture that orchestrates the battery’s real-time response.
Real-time monitoring, diagnostics, and advanced analytics from HMAX™ Energy, Hitachi’s AI-powered suite of service solutions for critical energy infrastructure delivered through a 20-year service agreement, will also provide continuous visibility of system performance to plan, predict, and prevent issues before they occur.
This enables proactive maintenance, optimized dispatch strategies, and faster identification of potential issues before they impact operations.
“This is a truly exciting milestone, not just for Akaysha Energy and its Waratah Super Battery, but also for our transition to a modern, sustainable, and secure energy future. It demonstrates how large-scale battery storage can operate as a strategic grid asset, providing fast-acting support to the grid during critical moments to maintain reliability.”
“It’s a giant digital shock absorber, bringing extra resilience and system strength to the electricity network. This is critical with large coal plants scheduled for closure, and more intermittent renewable energy entering the system.
Sitting behind the battery and the SIPS Control System developed by Transgrid is Hitachi Energy’s smart controls and software – the digital brains behind the project.
We’re very pleased to be playing such an important role in this nationally significant project for decades to come,” says Bernard Norton, Hitachi Energy Australia Managing Director.
The Waratah Super Battery was commissioned by the New South Wales Government and overseen by the NSW EnergyCo to support reliability during the state's transition from coal-fired power generation.
Notes to Editors:
The Waratah Super Battery Project is a key part of the New South Wales Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. The battery energy storage system for the project is developed and operated by Akaysha Energy.
The Waratah Super Battery Project’s most critical role is its ability to act as a “shock absorber” for the NSW electricity grid, a function made possible through direct integration into the Transgrid control room by means of a System Integrity Protection Scheme (SIPS). When energy is needed – due to weather events or other unplanned interruptions, the SIPS can be activated by Transgrid immediately.
The battery energy storage system can also capture excess energy during high generation and release it during peak demand – helping balance the grid’s energy supply and demand.
Hitachi Energy’s Power Conversion Systems (PCS) and Power Plant Controllers (PPC) are vital elements of this operation. Together, they form the system’s fast-response engine, enabling it to detect and react to grid disturbances within split seconds.
Hitachi Energy is a global leader in electrification, powering the electricity era to meet the energy demands of today, and the next 25 years. As the energy arm of Hitachi Group, over three billion people depend on our pioneering, mission-critical technologies to power their daily lives. With over a century of innovation, we are addressing the most urgent energy challenge of our time: driving the evolution of the world’s energy system to ensure abundant, secure, affordable, and sustainable power for today’s generation and the next. With an unparalleled installed base in over 140 countries, we are the grid ecosystem partner across the utility, industry, data center, and transportation sectors. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ over 56,000 people in 60 countries and generate revenues of around $20 billion USD.
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Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi aims to be a global leader in continuously transforming social infrastructure through digital, contributing to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates worldwide across four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – as well as a Strategic SIB Business Unit focused on new growth areas. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi creates value by combining data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2025 (ended March 31, 2026) totaled 10,586.7 billion yen, with 606 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 290,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at https://www.hitachi.com.
