AGL has begun the commissioning phase for its 500MW, two-hour Liddell Battery at the Hunter Energy Hub in New South Wales (NSW), Australia.
Construction of the battery, located next to the now-closed Liddell Power Station, is complete and initial commissioning has begun for the first 250MW.
The battery is expected to enter full commercial operation in June 2026 following a staged rollout that includes performance testing and grid dispatch.
When operational, the Liddell Battery is expected to provide storage capacity and enhance system stability within the National Electricity Market (NEM).
This initiative will integrate into AGL's existing range of grid-scale batteries, which includes the Torrens Island Battery with a capacity of 250MW, the Broken Hill Battery at 50MW and the under-development Tomago Battery with a capacity of 500MW.
AGL managing director and CEO Damien Nicks said: “In April 2023, we closed Liddell Power Station after 50 years of operation with a celebration of the people of Liddell and the contribution that the power station made to the Hunter region and Australia’s energy system.
“Three years on, I am proud to stand here today to celebrate the commissioning of the Liddell Battery as the first major development in our plans to repurpose this site.
“This battery will deliver important firming storage for the energy system, which is increasingly needed as coal exits the market, and the percentage of renewable generation increases.”
The battery project has received backing in the shape of a A$35m ($24.67m) grant from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency under its Advancing Renewables Programme.
It also has support from a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement provided by ASL as part of the NSW Roadmap initiative.
AGL chief operations and construction officer Matthew Currie said: “Completing construction on a project of this scale is a testament to the capability of our teams and our construction partner, Fluence Energy. More than 600 workers have contributed to the construction and commissioning of this battery.
“Commissioning is a complex, time intensive and essential part of delivering a grid-scale battery to the market that operates safely and effectively.
“Careful testing of dispatch into the grid and integration into AGL’s portfolio will continue over the coming months to ensure it operates safely and reliably in line with system requirements.”
AGL is advancing the redevelopment of the Liddell site, aiming to establish an integrated energy hub.
Plans include a large-scale battery for the grid, and exploring collaborations in materials recovery and recycling, low-carbon fuels and data centres.
In July 2025, AGL completed the acquisition of 100% ownership in South Australia’s Virtual Power Plant from Tesla.
