Another NSW big battery project enters federal environmental queue

Clean energy owner and operator North Harbour Clean Energy has added another big battery project to the federal environmental approval process, with public comment now open on Upper Hunter battery energy storage system (BESS).  

The Upper Hunter BESS is a proposed 400-megawatt (MW), 800 MWh battery, providing up to 2 hours of storage, equivalent power for the needs of approximately 480,00 homes.

It was originally developed by Maizewood, a greenfield renewable energy and battery storage developer that was acquired by North Harbour Clean Energy in July 2024.

The proposed site is adjacent to the Main Northern railway line, while the nearby transmission line is within 3 kilometres. The development application therefore offers three options for connecting the battery to the network, while a fourth was considered and abandoned due to biodiversity constraints.

Final design of the project and its connection to the transmission line will be finalised over the next few months.

North Harbour says it has already undertaken a series of community and stakeholder engagement activities to inform the design and layout of the project and reveal issues that need to be addressed.

This engagement included local council, nearby property owners, and the wider community, in addition to government agencies and at least one community briefing session held in September.

A social impact assessment (SIA) is also in the process of being prepared as part of the project’s environmental impact statement (EIS) and will involve targeted interviews with relevant stakeholders.

Once operational, the Upper Hunter BESS will help to reduce energy costs, enhance local energy storage capacity, and improve grid reliability.  

The Upper Hunter BESS is also currently sitting in the NSW state government’s own development queue.