New battery facility proposed for Pleystowe after council rejection
Following the rejection of a previous battery proposal, another company has submitted plans for a large-scale energy storage facility in the Pioneer Valley. SEE THE PLANS.
Business
Don't miss out on the headlines from Business. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Months after a renewables company’s battery proposal for the Pioneer Valley was shot down by council, another company is trying its hand on a plot just across the road.
Following council’s rejection of Edify Energy’s proposal, Pleystowe BESS Pty Ltd, owned by Chinese renewables manufacturer Trina Solar, have lodged their own battery proposal for the vacant lot at 244 Pleystowe School Road.
Documents submitted to council reveal a battery energy storage system capable of storing 200MW or 800MWh with up to 288 BESS’, an administration and operations building, a high-voltage substation, 76 Inverters and medium voltage power stations.
The application lodged by multinational consultancy firm Environmental Resources Management on behalf of Pleystowe BESS said the development would allow for renewable energy to be stored and supplied during peak demand periods, reducing the reliance on fossil fuel power stations.
“Locating energy storage close to a load source such as Mackay would reduce transmission losses and positively impact regional electricity transmission costs,” they wrote.
“It will not impact on the future viability of the Project Area for agricultural purposes.”
The lot is currently vacant and there is no existing cane farm operating there.
It is expected a workforce of 82 people will be required for construction and it will take approximately 12 months with another three months to “allow for the commission of the BESS”.
A shed will have to be removed from the site prior to construction.
The facility is estimated to have a lifespan of 20 years and, according to documents submitted to council, the lithium-ion batteries do not cause “flaming fires”.
A number of fire prevention measures have also been outlined including equipping the site with six 160,000L water tanks, fire detection alarms, and explosion ventilation.
The application said the proposed development fit the purpose of the Mackay, Isaac and Whitsunday regional plan and they committed to submitting a stormwater management plan, a traffic management plan, and construction environmental plan prior to commencement.
“The proposed BESS will not impact on the existing rural amenity of the surrounding landscape,” they wrote.
Anti-renewable advocate and Mirani MP Glen Kelly held a community meeting at O’Shea’s Hotel in Walkerston following the application.
He likened the application to the Bouldercombe BESS which he said “makes constant noise” and caught fire in 2023.
“These types of projects threaten to use up too much precious prime agricultural land,” Mr Kelly said.
This comes days after Mr Kelly called for the cancellation of a billion dollar wind farm at Moonlight Range.
The last plan to build a big battery nearby, just off Formosas Rd at Pleystowe was proposed by Edify Energy in April 2024.
Edify Energy said the development would take up just over 10 per cent of the farms area and would be capable of storing enough energy to power up to 30,000 homes.
The proposal was met with staunch opposition when tabled at a council meeting in October 2024, with both councillors George Christensen and Martin Bella speaking against it.
Mr Christensen said rural zoning was fundamentally incompatible with non-agricultural industrial purposes, while Mr Bella warned losing the five hectares of good quality land isn’t easily made up for.
“If you don’t know farming, if you don’t know agriculture then your assessment of this is flawed,” Mr Bella said.
Only deputy mayor Karen May spoke in favour of the development and said the site’s adjacency to the Ergon Station at Formosas Rd was ideal.
More Coverage
Originally published as New battery facility proposed for Pleystowe after council rejection
Retired living: Planned village on pause, others expanding
Developers of one unrealised retirement village want an extension to a decade-old approval while other aged care facilities lodge ambitious plans for expansion.
Want to be a property investor? Ask these 10 questions first
Investing in real estate is a cornerstone of wealth for a majority of Aussies, but before getting started you should ask yourself this.
‘Tradies, not more martial artists’: MP slams ‘out-of-kilter’ immigration
Claiming the “Big Australia” policy isn’t working in Qld where new arrivals with the wrong skillsets are taking up housing, a federal MP has called for a further “slowdown” of immigration.
Schoolkids ‘broken’ after ‘unbelievably missed’ teacher’s crash death
Heartbreaking tributes are continuing to flow for a 22-year-old Qld teacher whose tragic crash death has rocked the Catholic college at which he taught and the community where he was the loved “life of the party”.
$200k promised to light up CBD
In back to back pledges toward improving safety for regional towns, the Mackay region is set to net close to $400k to upgrade security and lighting in the CBD and Sarina.
130k cigarettes, 1600 vapes, five closures: Latest tobacco crackdown
In a huge crackdown on illegal tobacco and vaping products, five unlicensed tobacconists have been shut down and massive amounts of illicit goods have been seized.