EnergyCo has prepared a comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Waratah Super Battery project at the former Munmorah power station.
It’s a 212-page document, along with hundreds of pages in accompanying reports, which describes the super battery project in technical terms and assesses the impacts on the environment and surrounding communities.
The State Government, through Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo), is developing the Waratah Super Battery to ensure reliable, affordable energy supplies following the planned closure of Eraring Power station in 2025, seven years earlier than scheduled, as well as Vales Point Power Station in 2029.
It will be the largest standby network battery in the southern hemisphere and, together with other minor transmission upgrades, will be capable of discharging up to 850 megawatts and storing up to 1,680 megawatt hours of back-up power.
Transgrid will be the network operator and Akaysha Energy the service provider responsible for constructing and operating the battery energy storage system.
There will be 2,600 battery units each containing a group of lithium-iron phosphate batteries in steel-walled non-combustible housings 3.3m high, 1.6m wide and 2.5m deep and spaced over 14ha.
The batteries have a life of about 20 years, with degraded units progressively replaced or upgraded, and at end-of-life they will be disposed of or recycled.
The project site on Scenic Dr, Colongra, is surrounded by residential suburbs of Doyalson, San Remo, Buff Point, Budgewoi and the closest, Halekulani, only 600m away, as well as Koala Park and Colongra Swamp Nature Reserve.
During initial stages of public and stakeholder consultation, the EIS says there was neutral to broad support for the beneficial use of the former power station site and integrity of the power supply, however, concerns focussed largely on fire risk, contaminated land and water, and noise.
The EIS sets out a range of fire safety and fire protection systems, detailed in a Fire Safety Study prepared in consultation with Fire and Rescue NSW.
A risk assessment says “based on industry knowledge of the battery storage technology and considering that large battery energy storage system are a relatively new technology, the project has been considered potentially hazardous and a Level 2 PHA (Preliminary Hazard Analysis) has been prepared for the Waratah Super Battery,” the EIS says.
“The only scenarios that could lead to significant off-site impacts and require further assessment in the hazard analysis are thermal runaway (fire) of lithium-iron batteries and EMF (electromagnetic fields)” – and the EIS contains a detailed explanation of both.
The EIS also covers radiant heat and appropriate separation distance between battery units, citing the findings of the 2021 Victorian Big Battery fire which also highlighted the importance of a monitoring system.
Following approval by the Minister for Planning, the project is expected to take 18 to 24 months to get up-and-running with an estimated 150 jobs through construction and 10 to 15 when operational.
It is expected to start in early 2023 (subject to approvals) and the project could be constructed in stages with the first 350MW to be operational by November 2024 and final stage, up to 850MW, by March 2025, prior to the closure of Eraring power station.
If and when the project is decommissioned, the land would be rehabilitated to an agreed standard.
To view the EIS and provide feedback, go to the Department of Planning and Environment’s website – www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/major-projects/projects/waratah-super-battery-energy-storage-system
Public consultation closes on Thursday, December 8.
Sue Murray