Solar Farm and Battery BRINKWORTH
Project update
Spring has arrived, bringing an opportunity to provide update on the progress of Brinkworth Solar Farm and Battery, and wish you all a flourishing season.
Over the past six months, Akaysha Energy and Wind Prospect have engaged with government agencies, Regional Councils, Traditional Owner groups, landowners and neighbours, and other interested groups. The Community Information Sessions held in May in Koolunga and Brinkworth were well attended. We would like to thank the community for their hospitality, and valuable feedback. The feedback provided by the community and stakeholder groups has helped us shape and refine the project.
Since our last update, a range of technical and environmental assessments have been conducted to understand the potential impacts and benefits of the project, and where required identified measures to minimise any potential adverse impacts. These assessments include:
• Environmental aspects including flora and fauna, surface water management, and soils
• Cultural heritage
• Visual impact
• Noise
• Traffic
• Socio-economic and agricultural impacts
• Fire risk
• Aviation
Project benefits
Generation of clean and low-cost renewable energy from solar
Increasing energy reliability by supplying stored energy at times of low renewable energy generation
Supporting renewable energy generation by providing additional storage capacity for electricity
Assisting in transitioning the grid to clean and renewable sources of power
Providing local economic stimulus to the region during the construction and operation of the project
Caption
Summary of findings from technical assessments
Environmental
• The project is in an area mainly used for cropping. Native vegetation and habitat for native fauna in the area is mostly located in road reserves. Through the project design process, an objective of the project is to avoid impacts to native vegetation and trees. There will be no threatened flora or fauna species impacted. There will, however, need to be some small clearing of vegetation with approximately 0.05 ha required.
• The surface water assessment concluded that the site and development is not subject to flooding and would not impact watercourses. Potential issues relating to stormwater management (for example soil erosion and transport of sediment) during construction and operation are considered minor and can be managed through the implementation of the mitigation measures as part of the Construction Environmental Management Plan. Impacts to groundwater were not predicted.
Noise
• The project has been assessed for compliance with relevant statutory limits as required by the South Australian Government.
• The design of the project has considered the location of the closest sensitive receptors (homes) to minimise potential noise being heard near the project.
• Predictive noise modelling has shown that even under the worst-case operating scenario noise emissions will be significantly below statutory noise limits and therefore compliant.
Traffic and access
• A traffic study assessed potential impacts over the construction, commissioning and operation of the project.
• The highest volume will occur during the construction phase, with up to 280 vehicle movements (to and from) per day (mostly light vehicles) at the peak of construction.
• Four potential routes to the site were assessed for the delivery of project components. The preferred option follows gazetted B-double routes and maximises the use of suitably sealed roads.
• Based on the predicted traffic volumes and consideration of the existing road network, the assessment concluded that the project is unlikely to have negative impacts on safety or function of surrounding roads.
Fire risk
• The project has adopted relevant guidelines to ensure the safe operation of the solar farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). These include making sure relevant fire breaks are incorporated into the design, that there are safe access points and committing to providing sufficient water storage.
• With these measures in place and considering the existing bushfire prone landscape, the study concluded that the risks related to bushfire were low.
Landscape and visual
• A landscape and visual assessment has been undertaken from key sensitive receptors and assessed the landscape scenic quality.
• Visual impacts were assessed to be limited to areas immediately surrounding the project. There will be no noticeable visual impact on the wider landscape beyond a 2km radius.
• Impacts to four homes surrounding the project were predicted to range from no-change to moderate, depending on the location of the home. For these dwellings, landscape plantings will be offered and setback distances from proposed infrastructure significantly increased.
• Mitigation measures including native vegetation screening and matte non-reflective finishes for buildings will be incorporated into the Project design to help reduce the impact. We will continue to consult nearby residents regarding mitigation measures.
Cultural heritage
• A desktop assessment was conducted and involved reviewing database and archival research to gain an understanding of Aboriginal and European history in the region.
• While no heritage sites were recorded, discussions with Traditional Owners have commenced to understand the history of the site and any sensitive areas.
Socio-economic
• A study of the socio-economic assessment of economic benefits has been assessed in two phases; construction and operation.
• During the construction phase, there is an expected regional economic stimulation of approximately $54.3 million in Gross Regional Product (GRP), the creation of jobs (peaking at 180 full time positions), and $33.5 million of household income.
• During the 20-year operation phase, an additional $2.1 million in Gross Regional Product, 15 FTE jobs, and $1.9 million of household income is anticipated. This is significantly higher compared to the estimated GRP and employment generated through cropping of the site.
• The Project will contribute to the Federal and South Australian renewable energy targets by producing renewable energy from the solar component and providing significant renewable energy storage capacity from the BESS.
Aviation safety assessment
• An aviation assessment examined the potential impact of the proposed solar farm and battery on aviation safety including the need for obstacle marking and/or aviation safety lighting.
• Through this assessment, no hazard to aircraft safety and no tall structures or glint/glare risk was identified.
Concept Design
Brinkworth Substation
BESS + transmission connections
Solar Panels Weather Station
Inverter Station
Key Facts
Construction period: 2-3 years
Project lifespan: 25+ years
Project status: Feasibility stage
Solar capacity: 209MWp
Battery capacity: 300MW/1200MWh
Site Size:
Total site 474 ha with 320 ha of infrastructure (solar PV and battery)
Proposed Location: Between Brinkworth and Koolunga, immediately west of Koolunga Road
Local Government Area: Wakefield Regional Council
Community Sponsorship Fund –Applications now open
As noted in the previous newsletter, sponsorship applications are welcomed to assist community groups and organisations that operate in the vicinity of the project. The
Community Sponsorship fund provides an annual fund of $10,000 per year.
We are excited to announce the Community Sponsorship fund will be increased during construction and operation of the project to provide an annual fund of $50,000 ($20,000 for the BESS component and $30,000 for the solar component). Please contact us to learn more.
About us
The project is being developed by Akaysha Energy. Akaysha Energy are an Australian developer of BESS and renewable energy projects. Akaysha brings together a diverse and market leading set of skills and experience for end-to-end development of battery energy storage projects, with ready access to the capital necessary to finance these complex projects. Akaysha has several project sites under development throughout Australia including the Waratah Super Battery in NSW and the Orana Battery Energy Storage System in NSW.
Wind Prospect is assisting Akaysha Energy with the planning, stakeholder engagement and gaining the necessary regulatory approvals for the project. Wind Prospect has been developing renewable energy projects across Australia since 2000.
For further information about Akaysha Energy head to www.akayshaenergy.com.au
To find more information about Wind Prospect head to www.windprospect.com.au
Community and Stakeholder Consultation
Work with us
We are actively looking to work with local tradespeople , contractors, suppliers and service providers through construction and operations.
If you are interested in working with us, please register your interest at info@brinkworthsolarbess.com.au
Consultation with key stakeholders have been underway. Project design has been shaped by meetings with people near the project, as well as Wakefield Regional Council, State and Federal Government bodies and other interested individuals and groups.
Our next community information sessions are being planned for October 2023. These sessions provide an opportunity to meet the team, learn more about the project and provide any initial feedback on the project.
These sessions will be held:
11 October 2023, 12pm-3pm Koolunga Institute
11 October 2023, 4pm-6pm Brinkworth Memorial Hall
If you can’t make it to one of our community information sessions, but would still like to speak to the team, please get in touch via info@brinkworthsolarbess.com.au. We would be happy to meet with you another time!
For more information
please contact us today via 1800 959 553
www.akayshaenergy.com.au
info@brinkworthsolarbess.com.au
