One of two big battery projects located near a substation in the city of Wagga Wagga has made it through the state planning process, but only after consideration from an unusual request from a local resident.
The approved Wagga North battery is a 120 megawatt (MW), 480 megawatt-hour (MWh) project that Ib Vogt plans to build next to a business park, and will cost about $225 million to build. It is one of two, both around the same size, that are seeking to cuddle up to a Transgrid substation.
Ib Vogt says it will need up to 80 people to build the project, and three to run it when it starts operating.
The project received one, lengthy objection from its nearest residential neighbour, whose detailed complaints were partly addressed in the approval conditions.
“We request: Manchurian Pear trees planted along the eastern and southern boundaries; Trees to remain for the entire 20-year life of the project; Weekly watering and maintenance Screening around the battery site; Lighting to be timed off at dusk, consistent with Transgrid practice,” the neighbour wrote.Â
Ib Vogt agreed to sealing the road and making sure vehicles aren’t operating during school bus times, screening the battery site with trees, and turning off the site lights, and to planting extra trees on the neighbour’s property.
The conditions of the approval said the neighbour had to maintain the trees, however, and could only make one request during a three year period.
“The identification of appropriate visual impact mitigation measures may be more effective following the installation of the development,” the consent says.
“It is recommended the owner consider whether there is benefit in delaying any request for visual mitigation until the owner is certain the development is visible from their dwelling or its curtilage.”
Wagga Wagga is just north of the new 300 kilovolt (kV) transmission line Project Energy Connect coming from South Australia.
But it’s still a relatively quiet part of the region, with just a handful of solar projects and farms, and batteries.
The northern site chosen by the two Wagga North batteries relies on three 132 kV power lines coming out of the substation, according to project tracker Renewmap.
To the east are the two small Wagga south and north solar farms, 18 MW and 30 MW respectively, and the 100 MW Bomen solar farm to the north.
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