THE Hastings area has been earmarked as the hub of major projects resulting from the so-called transition to clean energy.
Work is about to start on a $330 million battery energy storage system (BESS) at Tyabb.
The Port of Hastings has been named as “the most suitable port” to support construction of offshore wind generators.
The port is also part of a controversial plan to ship liquified hydrogen made from brown coal to Japan.
GRM Energy says its Tyabb battery will “help fast track the country’s clean energy transition”.
It has an agreement with Ausnet to build the transmission infrastructure to connect the battery to the grid and is negotiating with building contractors.
The battery will be built next to an existing sub-station in Thornells Road (“Battery given go ahead for grid connection” The News 24/5/22).
GMR Energy’s CEO and managing director, Morris Zhou last week said the battery would support the state government’s aim to improve “the reliability of regional electricity in an area that is particularly exposed to fluctuations in demand”.
Zhou said the battery would draw and store energy from the grid during off-peak periods and put energy into the grid during peak periods, “generating power for the equivalent of 40,000 average Australian homes”.
The Tyabb battery project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024.
Meanwhile, the Port of Hastings Corporation says the port has been confirmed as the most suitable for assembling offshore wind infrastructure “following an extensive technical review and engagement with key stakeholders including offshore wind developers and ports”.
The corporation’s website says the reclamation area between Esso’s Long Island Point and BlueScope Steel has been identified as the most suitable site for the Victorian Renewable Energy Terminal.
It says the site is within an existing port zone and the development would see it “transformed into a multiuser facility with new landside infrastructure and berths adjacent to the existing shipping channel”.
The corporation says it has started “an extensive community and industry consultation process and will continue to engage with traditional owners, local communities and interested stakeholders as the project progresses”.
Preparation of an environmental effects statement (EES) referral was underway and expected to be submitted “in the coming months”.
However, not all energy projects have been welcomed at Western Port and Mornington Peninsula Shire has protested at Esso being allowed to use methane gas powered generators at Long Island Point and Japan’s intention to spend $2.35 billion exporting liquified hydrogen gas from Hastings (“Power struggle over port use” The News 27/3/23).
The council has asked for clarification from the state government about protecting Western Port’s environment with the project involving gasification of hydrogen made from brown coal in the Latrobe Valley and the disposal of carbon the process produces.
The Victorian National Parks Association has launched an appeal to raise money to fight against Western Port becoming “an industrial wasteland”.
First published in the Western Port News – 19 April 2023
