Every firming project supported through Tender Round 2 of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is now complete, with three batteries and a virtual power plant up and running. Together, they can power around 400,000 households at peak demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The four projects can supply energy or reduce demand when the electricity system needs it most, bolstering reliability during periods of peak demand, such as on hot summer days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Minns Labor Government is delivering new firming capacity to keep the lights on and put downward pressure on prices as ageing coal-fired power stations retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Delivered by AGL, Akaysha Energy, Iberdrola Australia and Enel X, the projects represent more than $1.8 billion of investment in NSW:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The projects have also delivered economic benefits for regional and metropolitan communities, supporting more than 1,500 jobs during construction while further strengthening NSW\u2019s position as a destination for clean energy investment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tender Round 2 was delivered under the Roadmap, with additional support from the Commonwealth Government, to bring forward private investment in the firming infrastructure NSW needs to maintain reliability as coal-fired power stations retire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Minister for Energy Penny Sharpe said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe completion of these batteries and the virtual power plant is an important milestone for NSW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTogether, these projects can provide enough firming capacity to meet the peak electricity demand of around 400,000 homes, helping keep the lights on during the hot summer to come.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThese projects alone represent more than $1.8 billion of investment in NSW and have supported more than 1,500 jobs.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Iberdrola Australia CEO Paul Simshauser AM said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe were excited to have Minister Sharpe officially open our 65 MW Smithfield BESS, which is now powering the equivalent of 20,000 homes in Western Sydney and importantly releasing energy during evening peaks which reduces costs to consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud to have delivered this project ahead of schedule, providing local jobs, using local businesses and equipment during construction.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Akaysha Energy CEO Nick Carter said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe completion of these projects demonstrates how government policy and private investment can work together to accelerate the energy transition while maintaining reliability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs the developer and operator of the Orana BESS, one of the largest batteries in NSW, we’re proud to have delivered this on time and help support NSW’s energy security for years to come and provide critical capacity when the grid needs it most.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n AGL Chief Operations and Construction Officer Matthew Currie said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe Liddell Battery is one of Australia\u2019s largest grid-scale batteries. It\u2019s helping to support NSW\u2019s transition to a renewable energy future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe 500-megawatt (MW) battery reached full commercial operations this month and is storing and dispatching energy to power homes and businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe battery is the first major development at the former Liddell Power Station site and is an important step in AGL\u2019s plans to transform Liddell as part of our future Hunter Energy Hub.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n An Enel X spokesperson said:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe work completed through this program demonstrates the important role of flexible demand in building a cleaner, more reliable electricity system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEnel X is proud to have delivered 95 MW of flexible demand capacity, with participating customers already helping the NSW grid during the December 2025 heat event and periods of peak demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWe look forward to continuing to strengthen NSW\u2019s electricity system through future Roadmap initiatives, including delivery of an additional 32 MW under the latest Firming tender.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Every firming project supported through Tender Round 2 of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap is now complete, with three batteries and a virtual power plant up and running. Together, they can power around 400,000 households at peak demand. The four projects can supply energy or reduce demand when the electricity system needs it most, bolstering … Continue reading “Major energy grid stabilisers ready for summer”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40876","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-nswnews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40876","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40876"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40876\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40877,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40876\/revisions\/40877"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40876"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40876"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40876"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Project<\/strong><\/td> Company<\/strong><\/td> Capacity<\/strong><\/td> Storage capacity<\/strong><\/td><\/tr> Liddell Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) \u2013 Muswellbrook<\/td> AGL Energy<\/td> 500 megawatts (MW)<\/td> 1,000 megawatt hours (MWh)<\/td><\/tr> Orana BESS \u2013 Montefiores<\/td> Akaysha Energy<\/td> 415 MW<\/td> 1,660 MWh<\/td><\/tr> Smithfield BESS \u2013 Smithfield<\/td> Iberdrola Energy<\/td> 65 MW<\/td> 130 MWh<\/td><\/tr> Virtual Power Plant \u2013 statewide<\/td> Enel X<\/td> 95 MW demand response<\/td> Minimum dispatch duration of 2 hours<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n