The planned development is 2 km from the Yenda town centre. Photo: Ace Energy.
A development application (DA) to build a battery energy storage system (BESS) in Yenda was knocked back by Griffith City Council at its ordinary meeting on Tuesday (12 November).
The proposed five-megawatt BESS, which would absorb renewable energy so it could be used at a later time, was to be located on eight hectares of land on 116 Cremasco Road, just under 2 km from the Yenda town centre. The company Ace Energy’s plan included 10 containerised batteries, a medium voltage power station (MVPS), a power pole and overhead line.
The DA was submitted in July, but Griffith Council has since adopted a policy stating that such developments should be at least 5 km from residential areas. For this reason, the matter was brought to council for debate. Town planner Jenna Amos, who completed the planning report for the developer, attended the meeting to answer questions.
“If the batteries catch on fire, would spraying water on the fire just put it out or what would the process have to be?” Councillor Mark Dal Bon asked Ms Amos.
Ms Amos responded: “That’s beyond my expertise … my information I have obtained from the developer in relation to fire suppression is that it’s not water but there’s another process involved, but I’m not on top of those details.”
Mr Dal Bon expressed his concerns.
“I was talking to some first responders, fire rescue, I asked them how would it be dealt with if the batteries caught on fire. Their response was that … it would have to be totally submerged in water and left to burn out in submerged water to stop any fumes going into the air,” he said.
Deputy mayor Anne Napoli said: “When things go wrong with a lithium battery, they can go wrong in a big way and quickly … a situation where a battery gets hot, this can result in bulging … even an explosion. God forbid there’s an explosion so close to houses and the winery.”
Councillor Christine Stead said she’d had a number of calls from people saying they objected to the development because they weren’t notified.
“There’s a business and some farm areas that haven’t been notified,” she said.
Councillor Jenny Ellis expressed support for the renewable energy project.
“There’s lots of checks and balances when people put in these DAs, that’s why I support this, we are doing all we can to keep this safe,” she said.
A report submitted by council’s DA planner Pat Ngwira and presented to councillors recommended the proposal be approved.
“In light of [our] comprehensive assessment, it can be concluded that the proposed development is unlikely to give rise to any [environmental] issues … that are contrary to the public interest. The development plan adheres to the highest standards of responsible land use and development, and as such, it is expected to benefit the community by providing necessary infrastructure and services while preserving the natural environment.”
Nevertheless, a majority of councillors voted against approving the DA, so the motion was defeated.
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