The New South Wales government has approved the construction of a large-scale battery with the capacity to supply 60,000 homes during peak times.
The AU$209 million battery energy storage system (BESS) will be built near Armidale and will connect to a nearby existing substation to store excess energy from the electricity grid during non-peak periods.
The 150 megawatt / 437 megawatt-hour battery can then ramp up quickly when households need power, during the busy morning and evening times.
The BESS is the latest in the state’s growing network of battery storage systems, which will be critical to support the transition to clean energy as coal-fired stations retire.
Construction of the project is expected to create up to 100 jobs, and developer Valent Energy Developments will also provide a lump sum of AU$1.275 million to the local Armidale Regional Council through the project’s Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA), as well as a further AU$1.275 million over the life of the project.
In addition, Valent has committed to annual contributions totalling AU$400,000 for the upkeep and enhancement of the New England Rail Trail over 20 years.
Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said: “This is a major capital investment, creating jobs and providing Armidale Regional Council more than $2.5 million to invest in local community projects over the next 20 years.
“Over the next decade, regional councils will receive hundreds of millions of dollars to spend on their communities following the Minns Labor Government’s introduction of community benefit sharing requirements for renewable energy projects.
Northern Tablelands Duty MLC Peter Primrose said: “Not only will this project strengthen our energy network, it will deliver real and lasting benefits for the community, supporting local jobs, funding local facilities, and investing in projects people here rely on every day.”