State Government unveils plans for new $16m Albany Western Power depot

Construction of a $16 million Western Power depot in Orana will begin in May in a bid to “future-proof” the Great Southern’s electricity supply.

The State Government-funded facility will house 58 staff, replacing the 45-year-old Western Power depot on Kelly Street.

Wauters Building Company will lead the year-long build, which is expected to produce 70 construction jobs.

The depot will lift the safety and operational efficiency of Western Power’s Albany operations and will feature publicly accessible electric vehicle chargers.

Breaking ground on the new facility alongside Premier Mark McGowan on Thursday, Energy Minister Bill Johnston said the project highlighted the need to keep Western Power in State Government hands.

“New technologies are changing the way the technology system works, and Western Power is adapting for those changes,” he said.

“Western Power plays a key role in the energy transformation, and it is important that the workforce have the training, support and technology they need to respond to these new technologies.”

Mr Johnston said the station would help cater for the region’s changing electricity needs.

“It allows us to deploy all those new technologies, like stand-alone power systems, and allows us to manage the two-way flow of electricity, which is the way that the system now works with rooftop solar and other distributed technology,” he said.

“It is a really exciting opportunity to raise the standards for the workforce and to make sure that all the technologies are available right here in Albany to support the electricity system.”