AGL gets federal green tick for big battery in coal country, with conditions to protect local legless lizard

AGL Energy’s plans to build another battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales coal country have been granted environmental approval by the federal government, subject to conditions including to minimise impacts on an endangered legless lizard that is endemic to the area.

The 150 megawatt (MW) and 300 megawatt-hour (MWh) Muswellbrook Battery was given the all-clear to go ahead late last week in a notice published on the federal government’s EPBC portal, after being submitted for assessment in January.

AGL says the project, which has secured state development approval, is planned for construction in Muswellbrook, to the west of the existing Muswellbrook Ausgrid substation.

The company notes that since gaining state approvals back in July 2023, the project team identified the need to lodge a modification application, making several minor changes, including to the approved layout plan and to better reflect the final Aboriginal heritage site extent revealed through additional investigations.

One of the main conditions for last week’s EPBC approval has been centred around protection of the Hunter Valley Delma – an endangered legless lizard that inhabits a 25 km wide corridor in the Hunter Valley, between Maitland and Muswellbrook.

These conditions include to avoid and mitigate impacts to the delma, and to compensate for residual impacts to delma habitat through an Offset Strategy that must be approved by the federal environment minister before any works begin.

In the Hunter, AGL still operates the more than 40-year old 2,75 MW Bayswater coal-fired power station that currently supplies around 20 per cent of New South Wales’ electricity demand. It is scheduled for closure by 2033.

To replace the exiting coal, AGL is AGL is developing a number of projects in the region, including a 500 MW / 1,000 MWh battery at its retired Liddell Power Station site and a 500 MW / 2,000 MWh BESS at the Tomago Industrial Estate, that’s due to be completed next year

AGL is also developing a couple of pumped hydro projects in the region, including a project in Muswellbrook that proposes to ues an existing coal mine void to provide long-duration storage and generation.

The gentailer says on the project website that the Muswellbrook battery has the potential to improve the reliability and stability of the grid and to provide “socioeconomic outcomes” including local job opportunities.

The project is expected to provide up to 60 jobs during the construction phase and up to 3 full time jobs during operation. 

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