Tamworth Battery Energy Storage System to lodge Environmental Impact Statement

The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has released a long list of requirements which must be met before power can be switched on, and construction can start for the proposed storage system on Burgmanns Lane.

The detailed Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) sets out the regulations and requirements the applicant, GMR Energy, must comply with when developing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.

It's anticipated the BESS will store about 400 megawatts of electricity, which will be used to power more than 35,000 homes.

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If the plans are given the green light, it's proposed the project will generate 150 jobs during the construction period, and ongoing employment for a small team.

"Surveyors, consultants and company representatives have been and will be visiting the area, providing income for the accommodation and service sectors," the project website states.

Pending approval, the project is expected to be completed in 2026.

A 'Scoping Report' submitted to the department in 2021, which was released by the applicant at the time 'Maoneng Group', states the site was chosen for its proximity to the already constructed Tamworth Substation, its "low environmental sensitivity", and "lack of locational constraints".

The proposed location is about six kilometres south east of the Tamworth CBD.

The 2021 report states at that time the cost of the project was expected to "easily exceed" $30 million.

The report also stated the "life" of the infrastructure was expected to be 20 years, and the storage system would be decommissioned in a "safe, stable, and non-polluting state".

The release of the SEARs will require the plans to meet a long list of regulations, including biodiversity, heritage, land, visual and noise impacts.

Consideration will also have to be given to the effect the proposed development will have on transport, water, capital investment, and employment.

GMR Energy has until March 1, 2024 to submit the EIS to the planning portal.

Once it is submitted, the document will be placed on exhibition, and open for public comment.

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