Australia’s leading independent law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, has advised Powin LLC (Powin) on its entry into the Australian market and in relation to the Waratah Super Battery project in New South Wales.
Following a successful bid, the Waratah Super Battery will be developed, owned and operated by Akaysha Energy, with Powin as the agreed key equipment supplier. Powin and Akaysha Energy entered into a partnership earlier this year to deploy battery storage systems in Australia.
The Waratah Super Battery is considered one of the world’s largest committed Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) and is a key component of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. Once built, it will have a capacity of 850 MW / 1680 MWh.
Powin is a global leader in cost-effective, safe and scalable energy storage systems, headquartered in Portland, Oregon.
Corrs advised Powin on its entry into the Australian market and its contractual arrangements for the supply and long term servicing of the battery for the project with Akaysha Energy. Led by partners Anthony Arrow, Jane Hider, Rhys Jewell and James Morley, the team drew expertise from Corrs’ energy and natural resources, corporate, projects and tax practices.
Commenting on the matter, lead partner Anthony Arrow said: “We are very pleased to have advised Powin on its entry into the Australian market and its contracts for the Waratah Super Battery project, which is expected to be the world’s largest BESS once built. This is an extremely exciting and significant milestone for Powin as its first Australian deal, particularly given the scale and complexity of the project.
“Our engagement on this project serves to further cement Corrs as Australia’s leading law firm in the sector and we look forward to working closely with Powin on future transactions,” he added.
Mike Wietecki, Powin’s Senior Vice President of Strategy, said: “Together with Akaysha Energy, we are pioneering the way toward a sustainable carbon-free energy future. Powin is grateful for the counsel of the Corrs team in helping us bring a battery system of this size to the Australian Market. The Corrs team navigated nuanced legal considerations to help meet the needs of all parties involved so we can confidently move forward. We look forward to our continued partnership.”