Plans to install a big battery at the site of a nearly 50-year-old coal plant in the New South Wales Hunter region have been submitted to the state planning department for assessment and approval.

Delta and Samsung C&T plan 400 MW Vales Point BESS

Delta and project partner Samsung C&T have this week lodged the State Significant Development Application (SSDA) and supporting Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed Vales Point battery energy storage system (BESS), putting further detail behind Delta's plans for life after coal.

The proposed BESS will provide up to 400 megawatts and 800 megawatt-hours (MWh) of energy storage capacity, enough to power around 250,000 homes for two hours.

A "new purpose" for an established energy site

Located on the Vales Point Power Station site in the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone, the project is being developed in partnership with Samsung C&T Corporation Australia.

"Developed in partnership with Samsung C&T Corporation Australia, the project gives new purpose to part of the Vales Point Power Station site, building on its long history of powering NSW," Delta said on LinkedIn.

"By repurposing an established energy site and drawing on existing infrastructure, a skilled workforce and close proximity to Sydney and Newcastle, the project will help strengthen grid reliability and support renewable energy generation as part of the region's evolving role in NSW's energy transition," a separate statement from the company says.

18 months of studies and community engagement

Delta says the submission follows extensive technical and environmental studies over the past 18 months, as well as engagement with local residents, businesses, community groups, and stakeholders.

"Thank you to everyone who has shared their views and feedback throughout this process. Your input, including feedback on the project's concept design, has helped shape the project and inform the EIS," the company says.

"The community will have another opportunity to have its say when the Department places the EIS on public exhibition and invites submissions as part of its assessment process."

Battery site once home to Vales Point A

According to the planning documents, the area proposed for the BESS is the site of the long-since decommissioned and demolished Vales Point A coal plant. Delta says the surrounding land uses are consistent with the area's industrial nature, including the remaining coal plant and the Chain Valley Colliery.

The planning documents also note that there are two current mining or exploration licenses covering the project area.

The coal plant next door

The still operational 1,320 MW Vales Point B coal plant had been scheduled to close in 2029 but in July 2023 announced an extension of its technical life that pushed out the closure date to 2033, depending on market conditions.

In October of 2024, Delta made the revelation that it had been refused bank guarantees and was seeking a crucial rule change or exemption from energy market regulators to allow it to continue operating.

The battery proposal now sits with the NSW planning department, where the EIS will be placed on public exhibition as part of the assessment process.

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