Westforce Constructions is a Western Australian civil contractor for battery energy storage systems (BESS), wind, solar and renewable energy infrastructure. Part of the Raubex group, with more than 320 people across WA, we self-perform the earthworks, equipment slabs, trenching, drainage and craneage that a BESS site needs, built around exact battery placement and the electrical interface. BESS projects move fast and the grid-connection date does not move, so we show up early, stay present and perform under pressure.
Site preparation, foundations and equipment slabs
The batteries, power conversion systems and transformers only sit right if the civil works underneath them are right. We deliver the bulk earthworks, hardstands, equipment slabs and plinths to the setout and level tolerances the OEM specifies, so the enclosures land clean and installation is not held up. Because we self-perform this work, we control the quality and the sequence rather than passing it down a chain.
Cable trenching, earthing and electrical interface
A BESS site lives or dies on its electrical interface. We install the cable trenching, conduit and pit networks that connect the units to each other and to the point of connection, along with the earthing grid, and we build it around the electrical design rather than in spite of it. We coordinate early and directly with the electrical contractor and OEM so the underground services are proven and covered before installation starts.
Fire separation, bunding and site compliance
Battery storage carries fire and safety requirements that ordinary civil sites do not. We build to the fire separation, spacing, hardstand and bunding requirements set by the OEM and the relevant Australian Standards and WA authority guidance, and we embed QA, safety and environmental controls into every part of the scope. We know what a compliant BESS site needs, and we build it that way the first time.
Grid connection and switchyard civil works
A battery is only an asset once it is connected. We deliver the civil scope at the connection point, from the switchyard and substation works through to the conduits, foundations and earthing that tie the site into the network. We delivered the civil works for the 132kV switchyard at the Alkimos Seawater Desalination Plant, and we bring that same power-adjacent experience to BESS grid connections. See our Electricity Network Infrastructure work for more.
One accountable structure, delivered on program
BESS projects move fast and scope changes are common. Westforce self-performs the core civil works and manages the subcontractors around them, so you get one point of accountability instead of a gap between packages. We work alongside principal contractors, engineers and OEM providers to make the site ready and keep it that way, solving problems early through direct communication and site-based leadership, as we did decommissioning Neoen’s DeGrussa solar and battery project in the Goldfields. When the clock is ticking towards energisation, we keep it simple and we keep our word.