Battery energy storage systems proposed for Gippsland farmland spark opposition

James Faithful has been farming cattle in Darnum in west Gippsland for about 11 years.

He loves the vast, green rolling hills, the trees swaying in his paddocks, and the eagles that soar above.

So when he received a pamphlet in the mail about the middle of last year, proposing a battery energy storage system (BESS) nearby, his heart sank.

"When I saw the pamphlet and saw the area and drove up and had a look, [I] said, 'This is a horrible proposition,'" he said.

He said his immediate reaction was "piss off".

"When you propose to put something like an industrial facility on land such as this, you take agricultural land out of production," he said.

Power after coal

Samsung C&T Renewable Energy Australia (SREA) has applied to Victoria's planning minister for fast-tracked approval to build a 200 megawatt storage system at Shady Creek, 8 kilometres north-east of Warragul.

On nearby grazing land at Yarragon North, Taiwan-listed energy company ZEBRE wants to build a 210-megawatt BESS that, it says, would have the capacity to provide the equivalent power for 66,000 homes.

German-based company ib vogt has lodged a planning application with the Department of Transport and Planning to develop a 360 megawatt BESS on an 18-hectare site in Rowells Road at Trafalgar East.

The companies are trying to fill a void in the energy market when the Latrobe Valley coal-fired power stations shut down.

Their battery systems would not generate electricity; rather, they would store it and discharge it into the national electricity grid during periods of peak demand, via existing high-voltage transmission lines.

Council takes a stand

Baw Baw Shire is already home to a small 5 megawatt battery storage system, built at Longwarry in 2022.

But the local council is strongly opposed to the three new proposals and has written to the Victorian government, asking it to work with the council to find new BESS sites that are not on farmland.

"While Baw Baw Shire Council strongly endorses the need for renewable energy and recognises the critical role battery energy storage systems will play in stabilising the grid, we remain concerned about the current approach to their siting and approval," Mayor Kate Wilson said in a statement.

"We ask that future policy settings and project approvals give due consideration to agricultural land impacts, community safety, and environmental protections, ensuring that host communities share meaningfully in the benefits of Victoria's clean energy future."

BESS fire fears

The Friends of Gippsland group says a petition opposing the projects already has about 6,000 signatures from people worried about fire and environmental risk, noise, visual amenity and the impact on agriculture.

In a letter to residents on May 11, ZEBRE said its Yarragon North BESS was designed with "robust lithium iron phosphate technology already deployed across two dozen operational facilities in rural areas around Australia".

In a statement, the company said its battery would have heat, smoke, and flammable gas detection and exhaust systems, with associated hard-wired alarms that could trigger automatic isolation of the unit.

It said tests had shown its systems to be suitable for controlling a BESS fire.

The CFA has developed Australian-first guidelines for renewable energy facilities.

"CFA's Specialist Risk and Fire Safety Unit [SRFSU] works with regulators and industry to ensure that fire risk management is considered and addressed in the design and operation of renewable energy facilities," a CFA spokesperson said.

"Fire safety at large-scale renewable energy facilities is a focus for CFA and is one of the key considerations for communities where a facility is proposed."

A spokesperson for the Victorian government said any proposal would be considered on its merits, and community members were encouraged to make submissions to ensure their views were "considered in the decision-making process".

Batteries key part of energy transition

Andrew Bray, national director of regional renewables advocate RE-Alliance, said batteries were an important part of the transition from coal power to clean energy.

"It's really up to those companies to mount a convincing argument and consult properly with local communities to show why there should be those projects there," he said.

Samsung said the location of its Shady Creek BESS was considered suitable because of its proximity to existing transmission lines, even though it would not sit within the existing renewable energy zone.

It said the land was already cleared and flat, with no major waterways or areas of cultural or historical significance.

It said it had consulted with the CFA on the project's design to ensure there were fire safety features on site, including hydrants, a water supply, a 10 metre-wide firebreak and fire detection systems with remote emergency shutdown capability.

But Mr Faithful said he and his neighbours were not convinced batteries were an appropriate use of viable farmland.

"I just think we're trying to make it clear that there are better areas."