Origin Energy is set to continue operations at all four units of the Eraring Power Station until 30 April 2029, following a notification to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
The company originally planned to close the facility as early as August 2027, but the extended operations aim to support New South Wales’ (NSW) electricity supply during the ongoing energy transition.
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The decision aligns with an agreement between Origin and the NSW Government in May 2024.
Origin stated that it will not conduct further major maintenance on the power station before its closure in 2029, although previous investments have improved the reliability and flexibility of the facility’s units.
Extending Eraring’s operations is expected to address concerns highlighted in the AEMO’s recent Transition Plan for System Security, helping to maintain secure power delivery to households and businesses in the state.
The company said that this move will not impact its emissions reduction targets for 2030 and its aim for net-zero emissions by 2050, as outlined in its 2025 Climate Transition Action Plan.
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By GlobalDataSupport for employees at Eraring Power Station will continue through Origin’s Future Directions programme, which provides career development, training, well-being services and financial assistance.
So far, this programme has funded 525 training initiatives.
Origin CEO Frank Calabria said: “We have taken the decision to extend Eraring’s operations after assessing a range of factors including the needs of our customers, market conditions and the important role the plant plays in the NSW energy system.
“Good progress is being made on the delivery of new energy infrastructure including major transmission works and projects like our large-scale battery at Eraring, but it has become clear Eraring Power Station will need to run for longer to support secure and stable power supply.”
In addition, Origin’s A$5m ($3.3m) Eraring Community Fund remains available through 2032 for local projects; nearly A$1.5m has already been allocated across 47 community initiatives.
After Eraring Power Station retires in April 2029, the site will maintain a role within the National Electricity Market.
The Eraring Battery began commercial operations with its first and third stages in late 2025, with additional stages expected to come online by early 2027.
The fourth stage, recently approved, will extend storage capability for stage two to nearly six hours.
Once completed, the battery installation is projected to deliver a capacity of 700MW and a storage ability of 3.16 gigawatt-hours, equivalent to an average of four-and-a-half hours’ supply.
Eraring Power Station on Lake Macquarie is a black coal-fired plant generating up to 2.88GW and has been fully operational since 1984.
