Frontier Energy Exectues All Major Contracts for Waroona Project Stage One

Frontier Energy (ASX: FHE) has executed all major equipment and construction contracts for Stage One of its Waroona renewable energy project in Western Australia, clearing a key step ahead of site works scheduled to begin in September.

Stage One comprises a 132-megawatt solar facility paired with an 81.5MW battery energy storage system (BESS) providing 6.9 hours of storage, with first generation scheduled for 2028.

The fixed-price contracts cover the majority of the $310 million project budget, with the project and its $22m contingency fully funded and site works supported by the recent capital raising and credit-approved debt finance commitments.

Frontier has also secured an unconditional Western Power connection allowing export of up to 99MW at the nearby Landwehr Terminal and import of up to 95MW to charge the BESS when solar generation is low or unavailable.

Major Equipment Packages Secured

LONGi group will supply more than 200,000 photovoltaic panels rated at 650W and 655W for the Stage One solar facility, with the first batch scheduled to arrive in January 2027.

Trinasolar will provide the BESS under arrangements that include a 20-year warranty and long-term services agreement, while SMA Australia will supply inverters to convert electricity generated by the solar panels from direct current to alternating current.

Nextpower will supply the tracking system, with first delivery scheduled for November 2026, using controls that rotate the panels along a north-south axis to follow the sun from east to west and optimise production.

Monford Group has been contracted to oversee construction and commissioning of the combined solar and BESS facility, while Global Power Services will undertake the substation works.

Frontier will supply the major equipment directly to Monford, a structure designed to give it control over equipment selection and ownership while lowering the construction contract value and contractor margins.

Grid Works Moving Forward

Frontier's electricity transfer access contract and interconnection works contract with Western Power are now unconditional, locking in the connection arrangements needed to move power between the project and the network.

Long-lead items for the interconnection works have been procured, the construction tender is well advanced and factory testing of the connecting cable has been completed successfully, while Monford will take delivery of major equipment at Fremantle Port and manage logistics through to installation and commissioning.

“We have now secured the full suite of contracts required to deliver Stage One at our Waroona project and position the company as WA’s largest solar-BESS hybrid power producer,” executive chair Jamie Cullen said.

“The state needs new generation to support the targeted retirement of ageing fossil fuel plants while meeting rising demand from data centres and population growth—Stage One is our first step in delivering exactly that.”

Only 300 hectares of Frontier's 830-hectare grid-adjacent freehold land is committed to Stage One, leaving the company to assess expansion opportunities and progress Stage Two alongside the initial build.