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CLEAN, RELIABLE, AND SAFE LONG DURATION ENERGY STORAGE FOR NSW

The 500 MW Wellington Advanced Compressed Air (A-CAES) Energy Storage Centre is an early-stage development in New South Wales, Australia. Renewables in NSW continue to make up a larger portion of electricity generation, today meeting over 50 percent of generation capacity.

With plans to continue to expand renewable capacity and upcoming coal retirements, long duration energy storage is necessary to fully integrate renewable generation capacity and allow Australia to make the most of the renewable generation already on-line.

About the Project

A-CAES can provide reliable energy security for more than 50+ years, and is poised to be a key part of the energy transition in New South Wales.

As part of this transition, the A-CAES project being considered in Wellington will create hundreds of jobs, and bring hundreds of millions of dollars in direct and indirect benefits to the local economy, providing economic benefits for decades to come. The project leverages proven technology that is built and operated by skilled labor, providing stable, long-term employment opportunities.

The proposed A-CAES facility will discharge up to 8,000 megawatt hours (MWh) of electricity, capable of delivering up to 16 hours of energy delivery on a full charge.

Project Highlights

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Size

500 MW / up to 8,000 megawatt hours (MWh)

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Owner

Hydrostor

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Location

Wellington, NSW

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Application

Renewables Integration

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Economic

25-40 full-time equivalent jobs during operation, with hundreds of jobs created during construction, and hundreds of millions of dollars contributed in regional direct and indirect economic impacts

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Project Design Life

50+ years

Benefits

Hydrostor plans to work with stakeholders and community to deliver tangible benefits for First Nations people and communities, promoting local development opportunities through engagement with communities and industry.

Through leading community and stakeholder engagement practices Hydrostor will keep communities informed during the development of the Project. Hydrostor values community input into the development and delivery of our projects and encourage you to contact us with questions and concerns.

Driving economic growth

With a 50+ year lifetime, the facility will provide a stable revenue source for local communities. A-CAES plants use standard components and enables workers from the energy industry to transfer existing skills to the clean energy future.

The project will support diversified wage job opportunities and generate significant regional economic development from both the construction and operation of the project.

The NSW Government is in the delivery phase for the states’ first renewable energy zone (REZ) in the Central West Orana region. The Central – West Orana REZ is approximately 20,000 square kilometres and is centred around Dubbo and Dunedoo and includes the towns of Wellington, Gulgong, Medgee and Gilgandra. While the Wellington A-CAES project is not part of the REZ, the REZ does provide opportunities for Hydrostor to utilise the infrastructure and energy outputs from the REZ to bring long term energy solutions to the region.

See further details on the West Orana REZ: https://www.energyco.nsw.gov.au/our-projects/central-west-orana-renewable-energy-zone

Electricity grid benefits

Willow Rock will allow California’s attractive and growing solar and wind resources to be directly converted into reliable, on-demand electricity for the greater Los Angeles region and the broader California grid for decades in the future.

Enabling firm capacity

Wellington A-CAES will allow New South Wales’ attractive and growing solar and wind resources to be directly converted into reliable, on-demand electricity for the greater region and the broader NSW grid for decades in the future, while also contributing to emissions reductions.

Supports statewide emission reduction targets

Wellington A-CAES provides an alternative to the use of fossil fuel power plants to meet electricity demand, and supports the NSW and Australian Governments net zero ambitions.

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Support net-zero ambition to NSW government

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Stimulate economic growth and new jobs

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improve grid reliability by utilizing existing infrastructure

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Deploy proven technologies and existing workforce skills

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Project Updates

Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Hydrostor has submitted a request for Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure as of Tuesday, March 31, 2026.

The request requires a Scoping Report, now available on the NSW Planning Portal Planning Portal, which provides an overview of the proposed Project and includes initial details on project impacts.

NSW DPHI will now review the Scoping Report and consult with local Councils and government agencies to determine what should be included in the next stage, called the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs). The SEARs will be published by NSW DPHI online within 28 days of receipt of the Scoping Report.

Once the SEARs is issued, Hydrostor will develop an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which involves detailed studies and continued consultation with community and stakeholders. The EIS can take up to 24 months to complete following the assessment requirements from the SEARs.

Additional updates will be shared as the SEARs process progresses.