Tyabb battery farm could power 40,000 houses, help switch to clean energy
An innovative project could be the solution to soaring demand for power during the region’s peak tourist season.
South East
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A $190 million battery farm that could power up to 40,000 houses is being considered in a first for Melbourne.
Renewable energy pioneer Maoneng has lodged a planning application with the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning to build a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) at Tyabb on the Mornington Peninsula.
The batteries would draw energy from the grid during off peak periods and store it to be used in times of high demand for power.
A similar project is already operating in Ballarat but this is the first of its kind in metro Melbourne.
A 6ha privately-owned site on Thornells Road would be lined with shipping container sized cubicles holding 1600 lithium-ion batteries and seven transmission towers up to 40m high to connect the BESS to an adjacent AusNet substation.
A 4m high acoustic barrier would be built to reduce the operating noise of the battery cubicles, power conversion systems and high voltage transformers.
Existing dams on the site would remain and an environmental assessment of the property and those nearby found no evidence of the threatened Growling Grass Frog.
Mornington BESS was described as a response to the region’s high demand for electricity during the peak tourist season.
“Battery storage is one form of demand response and while this project cannot guarantee
outage prevention alone, it will contribute to improving regional electricity reliability,” the planning application says.
Maoneng co-founder and chief executive Morris Zhou said the project also represented “an important piece of the puzzle” in Victoria’s transition to renewable energy.
“A vital part of the Victorian Government’s Renewable Energy Action Plan is the integration of energy storage,” Mr Zhou said.
“Our facility directly supports this strategy and will play a key role in local grid stability.”
If approved Mornington BEES would employ up to 150 people during its nine month construction which would be completed in late 2022.
Mornington BESS would be operated remotely 24 hours a day, seven days a week and have a life span of 20 years.
The planning application is now on public exhibition.
It will be assessed by DELWP on behalf of Planning Minister Richard Wynne.
Maoneng Renewables Development director Allison Hawke said Mornington Peninsula Shire council had been consulted and talks would continue as the project progressed.