The Government of Western Australia has issued the first stage of an expression of interest (EoI) for the 50 MW/500 MWh capacity Kalgoorlie vanadium battery energy storage system (VBESS), aimed at strengthening energy reliability and supporting regional development in the country’s Goldfields region.

The state government said the VBESS project must be able to discharge for up to 10 hours to help integrate greater renewable energy generation into the grid, enhance system stability, and develop a cleaner, more energy-resilient energy system for Western Australia.

Bids must be submitted by January 30, 2026.

The project is worth $150 million.

The EoI will be used to explore how local businesses could play a role in project delivery, define how the project can be delivered efficiently while ensuring the best value-for-money for Western Australia, inform the structure of the state government’s $150 million commitment, and provide a clearer picture of potential technologies and investment requirements.

The EoI’s second stage will be held in early to mid-2026. It will evaluate the detailed business cases against the criteria that were developed based on the responses to the first stage. The second stage aims to select a preferred proponent to deliver the VBESS project.

In August this year, the Australian government floated the fifth and sixth tenders for 1,600 MW of renewable energy and 2,400 MWh of energy storage capacity, respectively, in Western Australia as part of the CIS program. The storage projects must use energy from the grid or from renewable sources.

The CIS aims to develop renewable generation and firming projects to deliver cheaper, cleaner, and more reliable energy to homes and businesses as coal is phased out. Through this program, the Australian government plans to deliver 82% of the nation’s renewable energy capacity, or 40 GW, by 2030.

In March, Western Australia awarded four battery energy storage projects with a total capacity of 654 MW/2,595 MWh under CIS. The projects are scheduled to be operational by October 2027.