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Steel River East Battery Energy Storage System (BESS)

Project Overview

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We are proposing a battery in the Steel River Industrial Estate in Mayfield West to add storage to the local electricity network. We're planning for the energy network of the future, now.

This battery will store 400MWh of energy - that's enough to power up to 27,000 Ausgrid households a day.

As we switch to renewable sources like solar and wind power, we need more energy storage to make sure we have power when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing. This will mean we can provide our customers with more sustainable, more reliable and more affordable power.

NSW needs six times more energy storage before 2030. Projects like the Steel River East BESS are important to help keep our electricity supply stable.

Get involved

In November, we held three information sessions in Mayfield and Warabrook. Thanks to everyone who came and spoke to our project team - we enjoyed meeting you. We have also received responses to our online survey, which has now closed.

The project team will be reviewing feedback from the community and stakeholders as we finalise the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) submission. We expect to submit the EIS to NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Industry (DPHI) in early 2025.

Following submission, the EIS will be available to review on DPHI’s major projects website at:https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects

DPHI will place the EIS on public exhibition for community to review all documents and make a submission, via the Planning Portal.

We will continue to update this page as the project progresses.

Where will the Steel River East BESS be located?

We are proposing the BESS to be located next to the existing substation in the Steel River Industrial Estate at 1 McIntosh Drive, Mayfield West. If approved, the project will be built and operated by a third party.

Steel River East BESS site map

BESS support the clean energy transition

The benefits of a BESS include:

  • Enabling more renewable energy
  • Reducing the need for new transmission lines
  • Local construction jobs
  • Improving grid stability and reliability
  • Enabling more affordable electricity

Learn more and share your feedback

We want to hear from the local community and answer any questions you might have. The feedback we get from this early consultation will help shape the project.

Contact our project team for more information.

  • Phone: 1800 574 044 - Monday to Friday 9am to 4.30pm
  • Email: batteries@ausgrid.com.au
  • Mail: Ausgrid BESS Project Team, GPO Box 4009 Sydney NSW 2001

Planning and approval process

Ausgrid is currently planning the desing of the BESS. If approved, the project will be built and operated by a third party.

  • Late 2024
    • Submit Scoping Report to NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Industry and request SEARS
    • Prepare Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
  • Early 2025
    • Submit EIS to NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Industry
    • EIS Exhibition
  • Mid 2025
    • Project determination
  • Mid to Late 2025
    • Start construction
The survey is now closed. Thanks for participating.

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Frequently Asked Questions

A Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) is a group of large rechargeable batteries, connected to form one very large battery. BESS collects energy, stores it when there is a lot and then releases it when there is high demand for electricity.
These large batteries are critical to ensuring the reliability of electricity supply for households and businesses.

We are also connecting community batteries to our network infrastructure. Community batteries are the same technology, at a smaller size and help manage energy from roof top solar, locally.

As we switch to renewable sources like solar and wind power, we need more energy storage to make sure we have power when the sun isn’t shining, and the wind isn’t blowing. This will mean we can provide our customers with
more sustainable, more reliable and more affordable power.

By connecting BESS to our existing substations, we are reducing the impact on our communities and the environment, and decreasing the need to build more large transmission and distribution lines, which helps reduce costs and makes electricity more affordable.

BESS support the clean energy transition and make the energy network more reliable, affordable and sustainable. Their benefits include:

  • Enabling more renewable energy
  • Reducing the need for new transmission lines
  • Local construction jobs
  • Improving grid stability and reliability
  • Enabling more afforable electricity
View all