What does it take to build a city around an airport? In Western Sydney, the answer extends far beyond runways and terminals.
A new Aerotropolis is taking shape with industries, businesses, and communities set to transform the region. At its foundation is an engineering challenge that cannot be overlooked: creating a power network capable of keeping this new city moving. This article explores the energy infrastructure behind Western Sydney’s transformation. It also examines the engineering and technology expertise needed to build a grid capable of supporting the region’s next wave of development.
Powering an Aerotropolis
Before a new city can grow, it needs something fundamental: power.
Australia’s electricity system is preparing for a major increase in demand. The Australian Energy Market Operator’s 2026 Integrated System Plan projects that electricity consumption across the National Electricity Market will nearly double by 2050. This will place greater demands on generation, storage, and the networks that connect them. Western Sydney offers a clear example of what this energy transition means on the ground.
Around Western Sydney International Airport, an Aerotropolis is emerging as a major economic and urban center spanning more than 11,200 hectares – an area that is roughly equivalent to 16,000 football fields. According to Endeavour Energy, one of New South Wales’ electricity distribution network providers, the Western Sydney International Airport and the surrounding Aerotropolis are projected to attract 1.5 million people over the next decade.
This will include businesses, technology hubs, and communities. Such scale of development will require an electricity network built to grow with it. As Endeavor Energy CEO Danny Cooper said, “None of these opportunities are possible without strong core electricity infrastructure.” With this, the Aerotropolis will include a new 132 kV digital transmission substation, around 30 kilometers of underground high-voltage feeders, new zone substations, and the planned Kemps Creek Bulk Supply Point – according to Endeavor Energy in partnership with Transgrid. Together, these projects are laying the electrical foundations for the business and technological hubs that will drive the region’s next phase of growth.
Building the Power Network
According to the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO), Australia’s independent energy market and system operator, meeting the Aerotropolis’ growing electricity demand will depend on network capacity, technical feasibility, and reliable supply. These challenges point to several key areas of engineering that will be critical to powering the region as it develops:
- Design High-Voltage Networks – Powering a region as large as the Western Sydney Aerotropolis requires high-voltage systems capable of moving electricity efficiently across long distances. Engineering professionals will need to determine how power should flow through the network. Alongside this, they will need to account for distance, changing demands, equipment ratings, and system constraints.
- Build for Grid Reliability – With the Aerotropolis bringing together an airport, transport infrastructure, businesses, and new communities, reliable electricity will be critical across the region. Engineering professionals will need to assess potential faults, manage network constraints, and develop protection strategies that will minimize possible disruptions to essential services.
- Control the Digital Grid – The Aerotropolis’ new electricity infrastructure will also rely on digital substations to manage an increasingly complex network. Engineering professionals will need to work with monitoring, control, and protection systems to track conditions and detect faults with changing electricity flows.
- Integrate Renewable Energy – As the Aerotropolis connects to an electricity system with a growing share of renewable generation, power flows across the network will become more variable. Engineering professionals will need to manage these changes while maintaining grid stability and reliable supply for the region’s growing communities and industries.
A Call for Engineering
The challenges behind the Western Sydney Aerotropolis show why engineering education needs to extend beyond individual technical subjects.
Students need opportunities to understand how power systems, digital technologies, infrastructure planning, and project delivery connect within a real engineering environment. Building this kind of capability can help graduates approach projects with a strong understanding of how different systems work together.
The Engineering Institute of Technology (EIT) reflects this multidisciplinary approach across its engineering programs, giving students the foundation of expertise needed to contribute to Australia’s growing infrastructure and energy sectors.
References
Australia’s Western Sydney Aerotropolis
Meeting Demand Growth in the Western Sydney Aerotropolis
Case study on Western Sydney Aerotropolis in New South Wales, Australia
This article was published September 15th, 2026 and the content is current as at the date of publication.
