Power-saving “BESS” proposed for Karangi. What is it, and how does it work?

A proposal for a battery system capable of powering 375,000 households for four hours is in development at Karangi, northwest of Coffs Harbour.

While locals have raised concerns over impacts to nearby waterways, project staff say any risks will be fully assessed and appropriately managed.

What is it?: The “battery energy storage system” - or BESS - is a collection of batteries,  usually lithium-ion, used to store excess electrical energy, often generated by wind turbines or solar panels. Users can draw down on the stored power as required.

The developer, Avenis Energy, says the project at Karangi has the capacity to power 375,000 average households for four hours.

Waste not, want not: Alison Reeve from public policy think tank the Grattan Institute said a BESS can reduce waste. 

• “During the day, when all of the solar around Coffs is … pumping away pretty hard, there'll be a lot of surplus energy,” Reeve said.
  
  “At the moment, a lot of that is just getting wasted. The battery can mop all of that up and then release it again when the sun's gone down.” 

Why regional?: Reeve said BESS infrastructure in regional areas like Coffs Harbour is part of a “decentralisation” of Australia’s energy system, and a move away from a reliance on coal-fired power stations.

• “The idea is to produce the energy close to where it's used, and store it close to where it's used, because overall that gives us a more efficient and cheaper system,” she said. 

Reeve said the BESS could also help avoid blackouts on the Coffs Coast, as it would allow substations experiencing issues to be bypassed. 

The BESS would connect into the Transgrid substation at Karangi, moving electricity to and from the transmission network.

What does it look like?: The batteries would be housed in structures resembling 20-foot shipping containers.

Consultation meetings in Coffs Harbour and Upper Orara in March heard a range of concerns from local residents, particularly around potential impacts to the nearby Orara River.

Fears raised included batteries catching fire or leaking into the waterway. 

Fire management: Reeve said fire risks in BESS projects are “very carefully managed”, due to both environmental impacts and the cost.

“No one wants a battery fire, particularly not the people who own the battery, because they've invested a lot of money into it,” she said.

What next?: This is considered a State Significant Development and a “scoping report” has been submitted by the developer to the state planning department. The next major step is the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement.

Community members with questions can contact Avenis Energy at

[email protected].