Origin Energy has announced plans to shut down Australia’s biggest coal-fired power station in 2025—seven years earlier than originally scheduled—with plans for the southern hemisphere’s biggest battery to make up part of the loss. Coal powers more than two thirds of the state of New South Wales’ (NSW) energy demand, with the Eraring coal plant producing 2,880 MW (megawatts) of power alone—equivalent to 28 percent of the state’s capacity from its remaining five coal plants. Origin CEO Frank Calabria explained that one of the primary reasons for the closure was cost, with the ageing coal plant requiring increasing maintenance while cheaper solar farms sprouted across the nation. “The reality is the economics of coal-fired power stations are being put under increasing, unsustainable pressure by cleaner and lower cost generation, including solar, wind and batteries,” Calabria said. Origin is considering replacing the coal plant with a large battery, with the company …