Ausgrid is adding another battery to its growing and unusual portfolio of owner-developer battery storage, flicking a two-hour battery system at its Berkeley Vale substation into the federal EPBC process.
Transmission and distribution companies have tended not to become developers of battery storage projects, leaving that to private developers and generation companies.
But Ausgrid, the largest distribution network service provider (DNSP) in the country, which owns the poles and wires in large parts of Sydney and north to Newcastle, is named as the owner-developer of 10 different batteries by data tracker Renewmap.
Of these, three have approved development applications and one is yet to be submitted to the New South Wales (NSW) planning department.
The 150 megawatt (MW), 300 megawatt-hour (MWh) Berkeley Vale battery is the first to be referred to the EPBC, however, and Ausgrid says while it’s getting the planning permits sorted and will be the ultimate owner, someone else will handle construction and the operation of the battery.
