Spanish company X-Elio has submitted its application for a 720 MW solar farm and a 720 MW, four-hour duration battery energy storage project to the Australian government for approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The North Burnett Renewable Energy Hub is planned for a 2,200-hectare cattle grazing property about 140 kilometres southwest of Gladstone in central Queensland.
X-Elio said in its planning documents that the proposed project’s location is “well-suited for renewable energy development” due to “ample solar resources, legacy and upgraded connection/transmission infrastructure, and large areas of grazing land that could house solar PV.”
The North Burnett Renewable Energy Hub is to include solar panels mounted on single-axis trackers, battery units, inverters, and other associated equipment and infrastructure including transformers and an on-site substation. The developer expects construction will take about 36 months.
X-Elio said if approved, the project will provide electricity generation and storage that will assist in the grid’s “transition to renewable energy sources as fossil fuel electricity generation is reduced.”
The North Burnett Renewable Energy Hub is part of X-Elio’s growing Australian portfolio which also includes the 200 MW Blue Grass Solar Farm near Chinchilla in Queensland’s Western Downs region where the company is now planning to install a 148 MW battery energy storage system.
X-Elio, which is owned by Canadian investment giant Brookfield, has also started building its Forest Glen solar and storage project near Dubbo in New South Wales (NSW) and has unveiled plans to build a 300 MW solar farm and battery energy storage system near Wagga Wagga.
It has also secured federal government approval to proceed with construction of the 350 MW Sixteen Mile Solar Farm and a co-located 120 MW / 240 MWh battery in Queensland.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
I, and our community here and around Eidsvold/Wuruma Dam are very displeased with the lack of openness about this proposed solar farm. There has been no communication from X-ELIO or any of their representatives. The community was not consulted as to weather this solar farm would be good for the area, or even if we wanted it.
We, the locals are the only ones fully aware of the repercussions that such industry could and will affect the environment in this area.
There is approximately 270 hectares of endangered koala and glider habitat on this property that will be destroyed. Once those animals are gone, they are gone forever.
And while a company from overseas wouldn’t care about our endangered animals, we, the community of Eidsvold do.
Koala habitats are being raped and destroyed all over Australia and this habitat is one of the largest in the area and we wish to protect it.
You would consider yourself blessed if you ever saw a greater glider in person and yet, this solar farm would decimate their homes. It’s not just the koalas and gliders, but there are at least 250 other native animals that utilise this property for grazing and hunting.
The location of the farm and the destruction of all vegetation is going to cause emmense erosion, and that will lead to flooding and possible contamination further down stream. Any disruption to the water ways will affect the quality of the water going into Wuruma dam which is Eidsvolds ONLY water source.
Blue green algae is always a concern in the dam and increased silt production will only intensify this problem. Over the 30 years of this solar farm,the damage is going to be permanent and irreparable. Wipe out the water, wipe out the wild life, the live stock, the farm production and all the towns below Waruma Dam and into the Burnett River.
For what? Two days back up power?
And who benefits from that power? Eidsvold doesn’t need it. Most of us have solar panels on the rooves of our houses. We have done our bit for renewable energy and taken the load off the grid.
Many locals have voiced concerns about the access road to this farm. It is a narrow gravel road travelled daily by the school bus, farmers, local workers, mothers and fathers.
Has the infrastructure been planned to account for trucks and heavy machinery coming bumper to bumper with our school bus? Will the road be maintained by those ruining it? What safety plans are being discussed to reduce air and soil pollutants for the neighbouring properties.
Is there a plan in place for the injured animals, or are they just going to be smacked in the back of the head with a crowbar as reported on other sites as the recommended way to get rid of the problems?
We do not want our pristine waters sullied by this. We don’t want solar panels blighting our bush. We do not want the filth and pollution that the construction of not-so- renewable solar panels are going to bring to this area and we definitely do NOT want our wildlife driven from their generational homes by bulldozers. We value to animals over what you would call progress. Once the animals are gone, they are gone.