Former Macquarie bankers plan one of Australia’s biggest six-hour batteries with 4,800 MWh of storage

Western Australia is no stranger to big batteries, and currently hosts the country’s two biggest operating batteries in the coal town of Collie. But a group of former Macquarie Group bankers is proposing to build a new big battery that will be double the size of the others.

Perth-based BLT Energy is seeking planning approval for its first project – an 800 megawatt (MW), six hour (4,800 MWh) battery called Red Gully that it hopes to build near Gingin north of Perth.

BLT Energy says it has been working on the project or more than two years, and plans to build the battery in stages, kicking off with an initial $1 billion investment in a 400 MW, 2,400 megawatt-hour (MWh) first stage, according to the planning application and website.

The 59 hectare site is next to the new 330 kilovolt transmission line running north from Perth. It’s also just south of the recently-fast tracked Marri wind project (that plans its own potentially even bigger battery), and sits at the southern end of a swathe of wind and solar projects hugging the new line as it heads up to Three Springs.

While Red Gully is the developer’s first project, the company is quick to point out in response to questions from Renew Economy that they have solid energy sector experience.

“The Red Gully BESS [battery energy storage system] has been designated as a Connection Ready Critical Project by Western Power since February 2025 and we have gone through the process with them vetting our track record and experience,” an emailed statement says.

The six-strong company has a strong Macquarie Group connection, with founder Francis Ip, CFO Sam Piantadosi and corporate development director Mina Ip all circulating through the investment bank’s various global arms in the 2000s.

BLT Energy introduced the Red Gully battery to the local council in 2024, and has introduced the project as a whole to the world this year, with a Yued Heritage Protection Agreement in February and a development application in March. 

They don’t expect to need to refer it to the federal EPBC: while there are five wetlands to the west within the site overall, the actual project footprint is in paddocks used for cattle grazing.

They think they have another year of planning to go, with a goal to reach a final investment decision by early 2027, start construction straight after, and commissioning by late 2028 at the earliest. 

Big batteries are shaping up as a key way to shore up the Western Australian grid ahead of both coal power plant closures, and as the 65 wind and solar projects across the state with development applications under assessment or approved begin to attach to the grid.

Two minimum seven-hour battery projects were part of the clutch of winners in the two key federal and state renewable and storage tenders for Western Australia last week, along with six wind farms and two solar and battery hybrid projects.

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