The Mulgoa Road Upgrade between Jeanette Street and Blaikie Road in Penrith, NSW, is a major infrastructure project aimed at easing congestion, improving traffic flow, and enhancing safety. Managed by Seymour Whyte in partnership with Transport for NSW, the project involves widening Mulgoa Road to six lanes, upgrading utilities, and improving pedestrian and cycle links.
Construction in urban environments like Penrith brings unique challenges—not just delivering the project on time and on budget, but doing so in a way that minimises disruption to surrounding residents and businesses.
Penrith City Council mandated quiet operation after 5 pm to limit noise impacts on the local community. This requirement ruled out the use of traditional diesel generators, which would typically run 24/7 on a major infrastructure site.
For Seymour Whyte, this meant finding a power solution that could:
Deliver reliable site power for extended hours.
Operate silently during evening and night work.
Reduce environmental impact through lower fuel consumption and emissions.
Makinex Renewables, through hire partner Kennards Hire, supplied:
3 × HPS20 Hybrid Power Systems
1 × HPS45 Hybrid Power System
The Makinex HPS integrates solar generation, battery energy storage (BESS), and a backup diesel generator into one compact, mobile system.
How it worked on site:
Each day, the BESS component was fully charged before 5 pm using solar and the backup generator.
After 5 pm, the HPS switched to silent battery operation, keeping the site fully powered without breaching noise restrictions.
The systems are engineered for low-noise operation by design, making them perfect for projects in residential and mixed-use areas.
60,000+ litres of diesel saved
$120,000+ in cost savings
160+ tonnes of CO₂ emissions avoided
Fully compliant with Penrith City Council’s after-hours noise policy.
Continuous power supply with zero disruption to works.
Key Takeaways
The Mulgoa Road Upgrade demonstrates the clear benefits of Makinex’s Hybrid Power Systems in urban infrastructure projects:
Community-Friendly: Quiet operation after hours without power interruptions.
Sustainable: Significant fuel and CO₂ reductions through solar integration.
Cost-Effective: Lower operating costs compared to diesel-only solutions.
Reliable: Seamless power transition between solar, battery, and generator.