Construction starts on network of community-scale batteries to help suburbs power through extreme heat

Work is underway on a $65 million rollout of eight community-scale batteries across the Western Sydney grid, where they will soak up plentiful household solar and help some of the hottest suburbs in Australia – and in the world – to power through future summer heatwaves.

The first sod was turned on Thursday in Penrith at the site of the first of the series of battery energy storage systems (BESS) that are being privately funded by Auconnex, a subsidiary of New South Wales network company Endeavour Energy.

The Penrith medium-voltage BESS will provide just under 5 megawatts (MW) of power and 17 megawatt-hours (MWh of storage. All up, the eight BESS projects will provide about 40 MW of power and 136 MWh of storage, enough to power 40,000 homes for up to three hours.

Ausconnex says Penrith and the surrounding suburbs have been recorded as the hottest place on Earth, hitting 48.9 degrees Celcius in January 2020, hotter that day than anywhere else on the planet.

“It’s the geography, the concrete, the way hot air gets trapped against the mountains, and it means the suburb copes with heat extremes most of the country never sees,” a media briefing note explained.

Endeavour Energy Group CEO Danny Cooper says the batteries are also targeting some of the state’s major growth centres, including South Marsden Park, Seven Hills, Emu Plains, Maldon, North Leppington, Cawdor and Cranebrook.

“The batteries are being delivered in some of the fastest-growing communities in Australia, where population growth, new housing and increasing electrification are driving demand,” Cooper said on Thursday.

“Battery energy storage systems will make better use of renewable energy, provide greater flexibility across the energy system and support the region’s growth for decades to come.”

NSW energy minister Penny Sharpe says the program will help drive Western Sydney’s energy growth, and make sure homes and businesses have access to reliable and affordable energy.

“Battery storage is already playing a critical role in keeping the lights on when demand is high, and these new projects will help strengthen the energy system as Western Sydney continues to grow,” the minister said.

“This investment shows real confidence in Western Sydney’s future and will help support the region’s growth for decades to come.”

Matthew Porteous, head of Ausconnex, said the start of construction at Penrith marked an important milestone for the broader battery storage program.

“Ausconnex is focused on working with our partners to turn technologies like battery energy storage into infrastructure that can be delivered at scale to support the region’s rapid growth,” he said.

“The benefits of this investment extend well beyond the battery itself. These eight BESS sites will create work for local businesses, contractors and workers right across Western Sydney, and help build the skilled workforce needed to operate and maintain this infrastructure in the years ahead.”

All sites are expected to be completed by 2029, subject to planning approvals, Ausconnex says.

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