The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinarsUrbanity
Industry Excellence
Urban Leader
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
FROM SITE SELECTION TO DELIVERY PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT MASTERCLASS
PROPERTY DEVELOPMENT MASTERCLASS
LEARN MOREDETAILS
On Demand

Fireside Chat | Inside GemLife With Adrian Puljich

Building Australia's Newest Airport: Multiplex

The Makers Of The Mondrian | Design, Vision And Delivery Behind One Of Australia’s Most Anticipated Luxury Hotels

Next Gen Now | How Emerging Developers Are Redefining The Game

View All >
Latest News
ASX-listed Eureka Group Holdings is expanding its rental offering to all ages, picking up a community in Perth for $22.15 million. The 200-site all-ages Hillside Garden Village in Mount Richon.
Land Lease Communities

Eureka Expands All-Ages Assets with $22m Perth Deal

Renee McKeown
2 Min
The Spit Ignite Projects hero
Placemaking

Luxury Gateway to Unlock The Spit’s New Superyacht Era

Phil Bartsch
5 Min
Dexus 636 St Kilda Road HERO
Planning

Dexus Reveals Apartment Tower for St Kilda Office Site

Leon Della Bosca
3 Min
Toll is among logistics tenants to have previously contracted Westlink sites.
Industrial

ESR Greenlit for Second Stage of Westlink Industry Park

Patrick Lau
2 Min
View All >
Events
One-Day Course

Property Development Masterclass | Brisbane

One-Day Course

Property Development Masterclass | Melbourne

Breakfast

2025 Property and Economic Outlook | Greater Melbourne

Breakfast

2025 Property and Economic Outlook | Greater Sydney

View All >
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
SHARE
print
Print
InfrastructureVanessa CrollWed 25 Jun 25

Ausgrid’s $423m Battery Play Hits the Grid

Ausgrid battery storage proposal

Electricity distributor Ausgrid plans to build $423 million worth of grid-scale battery systems across two NSW sites, capable of powering 54,000 homes.

The state significant developments—both on public exhibition—propose installations at Homebush in Sydney’s inner west and Mayfield West in the Hunter region.

Each project would deliver up to 200MW of power with 400MW/h of energy storage, using containerised lithium-ion batteries—likely Tesla Megapacks—connected to existing substations via underground cabling.

The $215-million Homebush system would occupy a 26,500sq m disused carpark beside Ausgrid’s Mason Park substation (pictured in rendering above), near the DFO shopping centre.

The $208-million Mayfield West project—Steel River East BESS—would be built on an overgrown site in the Steel River Industrial Estate.

Both sites are zoned for infrastructure and owned by Ausgrid, which is jointly held by the NSW Government, AustralianSuper and IFM Investors.

Planning documents for each project said the systems would “charge from the grid during periods of low demand and dispatch energy during times of high demand or grid stress”.

Ausgrid, the largest distributor on the east coast, said the batteries were intended to “reduce the need for new transmission infrastructure”, support greater uptake of rooftop solar and provide local construction jobs.

The projects are designed to align with the NSW Electricity Strategy and Infrastructure Roadmap, which support the transition from coal and towards more reliable, decentralised energy sources.

Tesla Megapacks proposed for Ausgrid's Homebush and Hunter battery sites.
▲ Tesla Megapacks proposed for Ausgrid’s Homebush and Hunter battery sites.

Together, they form part of a broader rollout across Ausgrid’s network, with a goal of delivering more than 1.5gW of distribution-connected storage by the early 2030s.

While construction on both may be staged, each application seeks approval for the full 200MW capacity.

The batteries would operate remotely and without permanent staff.

Noise barriers and landscaping are proposed to minimise impacts on surrounding areas.

At Homebush, 0.05ha of native vegetation is expected to be cleared, mostly along the site’s southern edge.

The design avoids neighbouring endangered ecological communities, including freshwater wetlands and swamp oak floodplain forest.

At Mayfield West, the Steel River site contains no protected fauna and is overgrown with invasive species such as lantana and bitou bush.

Existing site (top) and indicative view of the Homebush battery system after one year of operation.
▲ Existing site (top) and indicative view of the Homebush battery system after one year of operation.

Ausgrid plans to retain some mature plantings along the site’s boundary and remediate contaminated soils from previous industrial use.

The nearest home is about 400m away.

The proposals are being assessed as State Significant Developments under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act.

Homebush is on exhibition until July 17, Steel River East until June 30.

If approved, construction could begin at both sites in late 2025.

The rollout comes as NSW prepares for the staged retirement of its coal-fired power stations.

Origin Energy’s Eraring—the country’s largest—was originally due to close in 2025, but the NSW Government has underwritten its operation until at least August 2027, covering up to $225 million in annual losses.

The deal allows Eraring to remain open until April 2029, though an earlier shutdown is still possible.

In the Hunter region, AGL’s Liddell power station has closed, while nearby Bayswater remains in operation and is due to shut by 2033.

OtherSydneyNew South WalesDevelopmentSustainabilityPlanningProject
AUTHOR
Vanessa Croll
The Urban Developer - Journalist
More articles by this author
TOP STORIES
Hotel Indigo Adelaide hero
Exclusive

Neighbourhood Hotels Reinvent Urban Hospitality

Clare Burnett
5 Min
Melbourne CBD empty site
Exclusive

Melbourne Developers Hit Back at Mayor’s ‘Lazy Landlord’ Plans

Leon Della Bosca
7 Min
The land value of many fuel retailing sites is outweighing their operational value.
Exclusive

Shrinking Servo Network Heralds Development Prospects

Patrick Lau
7 Min
Sydney airspace
Exclusive

Money Out of Thin Air: The Multibillion-Dollar Rooftop Housing Play

Vanessa Croll
8 Min
Construction

Surgical Precision: Robots Rise in Complex Demolition Job

Taryn Paris
6 Min
View All >
Article originally posted at: https://uat.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/ausgrid-nsw-hunter-homebush-tesla-battery-systems-exhibition