Agreement set to bolster Goldfields power resilience

The agreement creates a framework to support continuity of up to 70 MW of electricity supply from Northern Star’s Parkeston power station during planned and unplanned outages affecting the transmission network that services the region.

Once Northern Star’s new onsite renewable and power facility is completed, the arrangement could be expanded to cover all planned and unplanned outages. Subject to binding agreements being finalised, the MOU provides a pathway for the Parkeston power station’s capacity to supply essential services, along with most residential and small business customers, during transmission outages.

Existing backup generation arrangements will remain in place while the new framework is progressed.

Kalgoorlie-Boulder and the Eastern Goldfields rely on a single 655 km-long 220 kV transmission line connecting the region to Western Australia’s main electricity grid. The line has previously been impacted by severe weather and bushfires, while ongoing power disruptions and capacity constraints have also affected mining operations, prompting many miners to invest in off-grid generation and renewable energy solutions.

WA Energy and Decarbonisation Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson said the MOU marked a critical step towards strengthening backup power generation for one of Western Australia’s key economic hubs.

“Power supply in Kalgoorlie-Boulder is something that we know worries residents and businesses, because over the past few years we have seen some major power outages,” Sanderson said.

“Western Power is securing a sensible and long-term arrangement to support families, businesses and the community.”

The MOU follows an investigation by Western Power into a reliable and cost-effective solution to improve network resilience for homes, businesses and industry across the Eastern Goldfields.

The announcement also builds on the WA Government’s $150 million State Budget commitment to support a locally manufactured vanadium battery in Kalgoorlie-Boulder, which is expected to provide up to 10 hours of backup power to strengthen energy security and reliability.

Goldfields-Esperance Minister David Michael said the agreement signalled the work underway to improve power reliability for communities and businesses across the Eastern Goldfields.

“It lays the groundwork for an agreement that provides value for money for Western Australians while importantly providing Eastern Goldfields customers with security and peace of mind,” Michael said.