Kingswood battery project charges forward onto public exhibition

Renewable Energy giant Iberdrola Australia has submitted an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to the NSW Planning Department to construct, operate, and maintain the large-scale energy project at 744 Burgmanns Lane, Kingswood.

According to the report, the Kingswood BESS would have the capacity of 270 megawatts and provide up to 1080 megawatt-hours of battery storage.

The BESS would connect to the existing Tamworth substation through under/above ground transmission lines, and operate 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.

Two other large-scale battery projects are set to be located within one kilometre of the Kingswood project.

Recently, the Calala BESS was given the green light after developers shrank the project's footprint to address community concerns.

The construction phase of the Kingswood BESS it is expected to create more than 100 jobs in the region, and two full time employment opportunities during operation.

The report states in total the project is estimated to generate $360 million for NSW.

"The project is estimated to directly increase Tamworth LGA's economic output by around $124.9 million," the report said.

"This new economic output would support an additional $234.7 million in economic output across NSW."

According to the developers over the past 10 to 15 years, there has been a steady increase in the number of renewable energy projects.

"While more of the older traditional coal fired power stations have been retired and decommissioned ... the transition from thermal generation to renewable generation is expected to continue into the future," the report states.

Plans for the Kingswood BESS are open for public comment on the state's significant planning portal till Thursday, August 15.

Though nearby landholders and residents have said they don't want to live next to hundreds of lithium-ion batteries, our recent survey into our readers' attitudes suggests their complaints aren't as widely held in the broader community.

Last week the Leader broke down the biggest results from our month-long readers' survey on the renewable energy transition.

More than half [55 per cent] of respondents said they approve [11pc] or strongly approve [44pc] of utility-scale battery storage projects being built within their local communities.

Less than a third [31pc] said they were opposed or strongly opposed to such projects, with about 15pc undecided.

Nearly 150 people responded to our survey, and we've got some additional insights for you here:

Our readers want action and they want it now.

More than two-thirds of respondents [67pc] said Australia had a responsibility to tackle its greenhouse gas emissions.

In addition, most respondents [63pc] said the government shouldn't wait for other countries to reduce their emissions before taking action.

When asked how that action should come about, a large proportion of people said the energy transition should be done in a way that reduces the country's reliance on other countries for fuels [70pc] and makes electricity more affordable for everyone [69pc].

These considerations are important to a larger majority of our readers than reducing carbon emissions [60pc].

We also asked readers about their concerns around any potential risks arising from renewable energy projects.

The biggest concerns that emerged were waste being created at the projects' end of life, changes to the local environment, and community division over proposed development.

Other concerns held by a majority of respondents included impacts on the health of nearby residents, reducing the community's visual appeal, and devaluing nearby properties.