Stoney Creek BESS gets NSW planning approval for 125 MW / 1,000 MWh project

The Stoney Creek battery energy storage system (BESS) is a large‑scale grid battery approved by the New South Wales government. It is specified at 125 MW power capacity and 1,000 MWh energy capacity, designed to provide about eight hours of dispatchable storage. The site sits on Stoney Creek Road near Narrabri and will connect to Transgrid's Narrabri substation adjacent to the development.

Ownership, development, and contracting

Energy Vault is the project owner and Enervest is the developer. The companies say the approval advances a project that started as an idea on farmland outside Narrabri and moved through early development to an approved development after engagement with federal, state, and local stakeholders. The project is supported by a 14‑year long‑term energy service agreement (LTESA) awarded through AEMO Services under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap.

Why the project matters for the grid

The BESS is intended to store energy when supply is plentiful and dispatch it during peak demand windows, improving reliability for the NSW electricity system while enabling integration of variable renewables and existing generation. Its eight‑hour duration positions it for longer peak‑period coverage compared with typical four‑hour batteries.

Community, Indigenous, and local economic commitments

Stoney Creek includes several multi‑year commitments to the Narrabri region: a AUS$420,000 community development fund and AUS$1.05 million in Indigenous Services Support across 14 years. The project also commits to apprenticeships, training, and First Nations employment and business participation aimed at directing economic benefit to local people and businesses. Funding priorities are to be shaped with local councils, Traditional Owners, and community groups.

Public statements indicate site works and mobilisation are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026, with commercial operations targeted in the first half of 2028. Enervest and Energy Vault highlight continued engagement with the Narrabri community and Traditional Owners as the project moves into construction and delivery phases.

The approval follows other project milestones reported around the same site, including Energy Vault's acquisition of the underlying project land after Foreign Investment Review Board approval. The Stoney Creek BESS is part of a broader push in NSW to deploy long‑duration storage under the state's Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and AEMO Services procurement activities.

• Progress on site mobilisation and the start of construction activities in 4Q26.
• Details of how the community and Indigenous funding priorities are established with local groups.
• Any technical or environmental conditions attached to the planning approval and how they affect construction timing.

Stoney Creek now has planning approval and a 14‑year revenue pathway, putting it on a delivery track that aims to add eight‑hour, dispatchable storage capacity to the NSW grid while delivering specified local and Indigenous benefits.