Plus Grid Storage, the battery storage subsidiary of Australian electricity distributor Ausgrid, has begun construction of a 200 MW/400 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales.
The Steel River East BESS, located in Newcastle within the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), is scheduled to become operational in late 2027. The project represents an estimated investment of AUD 208 million (around USD 147.7 million).
The facility will store excess electricity during periods of low demand and discharge power when electricity consumption rises. By shifting energy availability to periods of higher demand, the project is expected to improve grid flexibility and resilience while supporting the integration of renewable energy.
Once operational, the Steel River East BESS will have sufficient capacity to support electricity needs equivalent to approximately 27,000 households.
The project received development approval less than six months before construction began, highlighting the pace at which large-scale battery storage projects are moving from planning to deployment in Australia.
Steel River East is the first project being delivered by Plus Grid Storage. Established in 2025, the company was created to develop, own and operate distribution-connected battery storage assets across Australia.
The company has another 200 MW/400 MWh BESS project in its development portfolio. That project has recently received approval and is expected to enter construction later this year.
With both projects, Plus Grid Storage is expanding its presence in Australia’s rapidly growing energy storage sector. Grid-scale batteries are increasingly being deployed to balance electricity supply and demand, store surplus renewable generation and provide additional flexibility as renewable energy capacity expands.
The Steel River East project will therefore add to New South Wales’ growing battery storage infrastructure while supporting the state’s transition toward a more flexible and renewable-powered electricity system.
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