Another four-hour big battery joins federal green queue after dropping solar component

The plans of Spanish renewables outfit X-Elio to develop a 300 megawatt, up to four-hour big battery alongside the Hume Highway in south eastern New South Wales have joined the queue for a federal green tick.

The Willavale Park battery energy storage system (BESS) proposes to build a 300 MW / 1,200 megawatt-hour (MWh) BESS and around 22 km southwest of Goulburn in NSW, in Wollogorang.

X-Elio, which is owned by global investment giant Brookfield, says in referral documents that community and stakeholder engagement on the proposed battery started in June of last year, including communication with local government, landowners, project neighbours and the broader community.

The company had previously proposed to develop a roughly 50 MW solar farm alongside the Willavale BESS, but according to the referral documents, “initial biodiversity surveys … resulted in solar becoming non-viable, and as such the Project design was amended to be a standalone BESS development.”

According to Renew Map, an earlier proposal for 600 MW solar farm straddling the Hume Highway in the same location – the CWP Renewables/Squadron Energy Parkesbourne solar farm – has also been abandoned by its developers.

The referral says the proposed project area for the battery covers around 189.87 hectares and is currently used for agricultural grazing and cropping. It says around 1.12 hectares is expected to be affected by required road upgrades to support construction of the BESS.

X-Elio has a few big batteries in the works for NSW, with a proposal for the nearby 300 MW, 1,200 MWh Canyonleigh BESS referred to the EPBC in July.

Another, proposed as part of the the Puggoon Solar Farm and BESS (264 MW and 110 MW / 440 MWh), is expected to be referred to the EPBC later in the year, the company says. Puggoon is in central-eastern NSW, east of Dubbo.

If you wish to support independent media, and accurate information, please consider making a one off donation or becoming a regular supporter of Renew Economy. Your support is invaluable.