The project area comprises approximately 2,295 hectares and includes all involved lots (19 freehold and some crown/council roads). The assessment of impacts associated with the Proposed Action has focused on a Development Corridor (1,364 hectares) (described as the “disturbance footprint” henceforth) associated with the conceptual layout as shown in Figure 1 (see Attachment Att_Fig1_Overview_proposed_development).

During preparation of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the disturbance footprint will be refined as the concept design is developed further. Should the project receive development consent, the design and associated disturbance footprint will undergo final refinements during detailed design prior to construction based on consent conditions and procurement decisions. The disturbance footprint shown on Figure 1 (see Attachment Att_Fig1_Overview_proposed_development) has been developed by adopting a 100 - 150 metre buffer area around the concept design to provide confidence that all land potentially impacted by the Project is assessed early and allow for refinement and avoidance of impacts during the EIS development.

The key components of the project are:

• Up to 53 wind turbine generators, with a blade-tip height of up to 270m and generation capacity of approximately 300 MW
• Approximately 150 MW/1,200 MWh (1-8 hour duration) battery energy storage system (type subject to detailed design due to the constant evolution in battery storage technology and commercial modelling). The large-scale battery energy storage systems allow for the storage and discharge of energy and support stabilising the supply of electricity to the National Electricity Market (NEM).  The proposed battery technology and location will be refined during the EIS. A range of technologies are under consideration, including lithium-ion, flow (vanadium, iron chloride, or zinc) and compressed air. The battery energy storage system would be located in a compound and comprised of gravel hardstand or concrete slab, buildings, shipping containers and other infrastructure to contain the chosen technology and to connect the battery storage, wind turbine generators, and substations via underground and/or overhead cables. The battery energy storage system may be constructed as a stand-alone facility or as a combined facility co-located with other compounds.
• Permanent ancillary infrastructure including:
  • Wind turbine generator hardstands
    • Hardstands are required adjacent to each Wind Turbine Generator location for the assembly, erection, maintenance, repowering and/or decommissioning activities. Hardstands will be surfaced with pavement material and maintained throughout the construction and operational life of the Project.
  • Operation and maintenance compounds (O&M)
    • One or more permanent O&M compounds will be established for the day-to-day operation of the Project. Each O&M compound may include lay down areas, site operations facilities and services buildings, workshop, storage, parking and other facilities for operations staff.
  • Substation and switch station
    • Substations include the infrastructure required to collect the internal electrical reticulation to increase the voltage for transmission to connect to the grid, and the infrastructure to physically connect to the grid (switching station).The typical substation arrangement will include step-up transformers, an array of cable marshalling, busbars, switchgear and protection, various voltage and current transformers, operation and facilities building with parking, communication facilities and tower, diesel generator, lighting, a buried earth grid, lightning masts, power conditioning equipment, a reactive power control system, and network support equipment as agreed with Transgrid.
  • Internal roads and drainage
    • Internal roads will be established within the Project area for the construction, operation, repowering and/or decommissioning of the Project, from the public road access locations, Wind Turbine Generators, the battery energy storage system, substations, and other permanent and temporary facilities. Internal roads are planned to follow existing farm tracks where practicable. Internal roads will be surfaced with pavement material and maintained throughout the construction and operational life of the Project.
  • Transmission lines (underground and overhead cabling)
    • A series of underground and overground transmission lines are proposed to conduct electricity generated by the Wind Turbine Generators and would connect to either the existing Transgrid 132 kV Deniliquin – Coleambally transmission line or proposed Victoria to NSW Interconnector (VNI) West transmission lines
  • Wind monitoring masts
    • Meteorological masts, up to hub height of the Wind Turbine Generators, will be installed on-site (final quantity subject to AEMO requirements relative to final to-be-constructed wind farm layout). The purpose of these masts is to aid in performance monitoring of the Wind Turbine Generators. The permanent meteorological masts would be of a guyed, narrow lattice or tubular steel design
  • Telecommunication facilities
    • Telecommunications facilities providing for transmission of voice, data, image, graphic and video information are proposed to be installed on site at standalone locations or onto wind farm infrastructure such as permanent masts.
  • Utility services
    • The Project would be connected to Transgrid’s transmission network and when not generating will draw a small amount of electricity from the grid. Backup and emergency power at the substations may be supplied by a local 11 kV distribution line, on-site batteries and/or a standalone diesel generator. Two separate and independent telephone communications facilities (optic fibre and microwave) will be required to be installed between the substations to enable safe remote monitoring and control of the Project. Operational water requirements will be provided to the proposed facilities and auxiliary services building from a storage tank designed to collect water from roof drainage and augmented by potable water delivered by tankers. An approved septic system or composting system will be installed to treat minor quantities of wastewater, subject to securing the relevant authorisation. Other waste will be classified and removed from the Project area to an approved facility (landfill, recycling etc)
  • External road upgrades (subject to blade sizing and transport routes based on EIS traffic assessment)
    • Subject to blade sizing and transport routes based on oversize over mass vehicles, external road upgrades may be required. This would be verified during the EIS
• Temporary facilities and activities for use during the construction phase or for discrete maintenance activities including:
  • Site compounds, laydown and storage areas
  • Stockpiling and rock crushing facilities
  • Concrete batch plants
  • Temporary roads 
  • Temporary monitoring masts

The indicative Project area, developmental components and proposed development footprint are shown in Figure 1 (see Attachment Att_Fig1_Overview_proposed_development). 

Operation activities include:

• The Project will operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week with the operations and maintenance team attending site during standard working hours, unless responding to an alarm, fault, or undertaking major maintenance works. Ongoing monitoring and maintenance would be required, including maintenance of the Wind Turbine Generators, associated infrastructure, vegetation, and internal access tracks

Decommissioning of the Project would involve:

• Dismantling the Wind Turbine Generators and transporting them offsite for disposal or reuse, with preference given to reusing or recycling Wind Turbine Generator components where possible. Land impacted by the Project would be returned to prior use  at the time of decommissioning in consultation with the affected landholders. If not required for ongoing farming/fire access purposes, internal roads and hardstands would be removed.

Further details regarding the components of the development can be found in the proposals Scoping Report included as Appendix A (see Attachment Att_Appx_A_SQE_ScopingReport).