Bouldercombe residents battle Battery Energy Storage System

The locals in a small Qld community have gathered together in a massive show of force against a huge renewable energy project hundreds of metres from their homes. VIDEO

Phil Buckman

3 min read

September 30, 2024 - 3:00PM

Rockhampton

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The small Central Queensland community of Bouldercombe have banded together to protest as they continue to show their fierce resistance to another battery energy storage project.

The proposed development by ACEnergy has attracted controversy after Genex Power’s $60 million Bouldercombe battery project caught fire in September last year.

Wind, solar and storage company Genex Power turned on the storage facility – its first – in June 2023 after Tesla supplied the 40 Megapack units in March.

The project was touted as one of the first stand-alone large-scale Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in Queensland, connecting to the adjacent Bouldercombe substation.

Fire at huge, new $60m Tesla battery station

Now locals are rallying together to fight against ACEnergy’s planned BESS, raising concerns about local flora, fauna and noise levels.

ACEnergy is proposing to build a 500MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) on a 9 ha site in Bouldercombe.

An ACEnergy spokesperson said the project would strengthen Queensland’s electricity network, making supply more reliable and helping prevent blackouts during times of high demand.

Bouldercombe Renewables Working Group spokesperson Mikaela Cooling said residents in the community, just 20 minutes south of Rockhampton, feel like their voices have not been heard.

“After the fire (at the Genex Power battery project), there was no consultation with our community,” she said.

“There are people living near the site who emptied their tanks at their own cost due to concerns about the chemicals and fumes.

“Our trust has been broken.They’ve done the complete opposite of what we’ve asked in terms of community engagement.”

However, ACEnergy claims they have engaged with the community.

Bouldercombe locals at a ‘No Bess For Bouldy’ protest.

An ACEnergy spokesperson said the company had held consultation sessions, provided information packs and offered personal briefings.

“We have been proactively informing the community and local representatives about the project for several months, and have held briefings and sent letters to nearby residents,” he said.

“So far, we have worked diligently to address preliminary concerns raised by stakeholders through meticulous planning processes, working to mitigate concerns associated with the proposed location.

“This means ensuring areas such as fire risk have been assessed and that expert advice has been taken and implemented at the highest level, including mitigation strategies, separation distances and built in fire suppression systems.”

Bouldercombe flats.

Ms Cooling said the development was also having negative effects on newer residents in the area, with many people who had moved to the area for the rural lifestyle not aware of the proposed BESS site.

“They’ve got surveyors trespassing on their property at the moment - no one knows what’s happening behind closed doors,” Ms Cooling said.

“I’ve taken time off work to be able to help my community. Someone really needs to help us try and understand what’s going on,”

Ms Cooling also said the development would take away from Bouldercombe’s character.

Emus at Bouldercombe.

“When you’re leaving town, the first place you look is out to the right. There’s emus there - that’s our pride, that’s our sense of character,” Ms Cooling said.
“And when you’re coming home and you look out over the flats at the sunset and the mountains, that’s all going to be ruined.”

The ACEnergy spokesperson said the site had been carefully selected to minimise environmental impact and maximise existing energy transmission infrastructure.

“Based on preliminary feedback we have also altered the design to address concerns, including providing additional acoustic barriers and additional rows of screen planting,” the spokesperson said.

“Beyond these specific measures, extensive agricultural, ecological, acoustic, traffic, stormwater, weather and landscaping and visual dimensions have all been assessed and contributed to a proposal that aims to deliver the lowest impact, highest delivering project possible.”