Canyonleigh

X-ELIO is committed to providing the local community meaningful opportunities to benefit from the projects.

We are working with Goulburn Mulwaree Council and other relevant local organisations to understand how we can support local businesses, groups, and nearby communities during the construction and operations of the two projects.

As we develop these Projects, we welcome your suggestions.

Guiding our planning is X-ELIO’s Community Plans, which outline four community pillars:

• Education – actions that cover education development at all levels.
• Environment – actions that focus on the preservation and improvement of the ecosystem.
• Health– actions to achieve an eco-friendly life in the community.
• Communities – actions that target a healthy lifestyle and humanitarian aid.

Each project’s construction phase typically takes between 12 and 18 months and each site is expected to need 200 to 300 people during construction, with peak activity occurring about halfway through construction.

Construction requires a variety of roles such as civil contractors, tradespeople and electricians.

Once operational, each project will be largely run by four to five people based onsite.

Additionally, many indirect jobs will be generated in hospitality, accommodation, and general services.

Whenever possible, the project teams are committed to employing local workers.

We are also looking for opportunities to collaborate with local training providers to upskill the local workforce to enhance relevant industry qualifications.

X-ELIO has an existing procurement team in Australia, and the construction team is expanding.

The procurement process will likely begin seven to eight months before construction starts. Local businesses can indicate their interest in being involved in the project/s via the project email addresses;

• canyonleigh.community@X-ELIO.com
• willavale.community@X-ELIO.com

Battery energy storage systems collect excess energy from different sources and store it until it is needed to meet additional demand when it is released into the grid.

Storing energy provides greater flexibility and reliability in power generation by helping to match the generation of energy with energy consumption. This helps to stabilise the grid by managing peaks in supply and demand and can provide backup power in case of an outage.

Willavale and Canyonleigh batteries will absorb energy directly from the national grid during times of low demand (e.g., in the middle of the day or night) and store the excess electricity. During periods of higher power demand (e.g., evenings), the battery will feed electricity back into the grid.

Each BESS will be connected to the National Electricity Market, which includes electricity from all sources and is transmitted via the same transmission lines in a process managed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

The further electricity needs to travel, the more energy is lost through transmission. This is why the Projects (through AEMO), will first serve the local region in and around Goulburn. Only if the local region has enough electricity will it travel further away. The BESS projects are a solution to regulate local electricity peaks and troughs.

A range of components are considered when selecting sites. In these cases, key considerations were Willavale’s proximity to the existing 330kV Sub-Transmission Lines and Canyonleigh’s proximity to the Marulan Substation. These factors, coupled with favourable site conditions at both locations, have been key to developing these proposed projects.

The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) wholly manages the electricity grid. AEMO will coordinate buying stored electricity from the batteries when demand in the local area is higher than supply. It may also request that the batteries store excess electricity where the supply is higher than the expected demand.

Canyonleigh BESS and Willavale Park BESS are similar but distinct projects being developed in the same region and will operate independently. There may be some coordination between them and some community engagement activities that cover both projects, but the operations will run separately.

No, the entire site area will not be used. The specific area required for each project will be determined during the detailed design and planning process. This process will consider project structures, technical requirements, and various site limitations, such as vegetation impacts, buffer zones for fire safety, and measures to mitigate noise and visual impacts to create setbacks that will not be disturbed.

It is expected that 118 batteries, fire safety systems and other management systems will be housed in purpose-made containers, where the electricity automatically cuts off if there is a problem. The approximate dimensions of the batteries are 2.7 metres high by 8.8 metres long and 1.6 metres wide. The containers are standard shipping container size to fit on the back of a truck.

As State Significant Developments, the projects are subject to rigorous approval processes under NSW planning laws.

X-ELIO submitted a Scoping Report to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) in late 2024. The report included the results of site investigations, early consultations, and initial studies in the area.

DPHI issued the Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the Project on 12 December 2024. These specify what issues must be addressed in the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), which is the current stage of the review process.

The EIS assesses the project’s potential environmental, cultural heritage, community, social and economic impacts during the construction, long-term operation, and decommissioning phases.

X-ELIO is using the SEARs to guide it through the EIS process to understand better any impacts the Project may have on the surrounding areas. As we do this, we’ll continue communicating with landowners, adjacent communities and other stakeholders.

The SEARS typically ask a project to consider specific elements relating to areas including:

• Traffic and transport
• Noise during construction and operations
• Biodiversity
• Visual & landscape impacts
• Indigenous and historic heritage
• Electromagnetic interference (EMI)
• Bushfire prevention and management
• Waste management
• Socio-economic factors
• Water use and management

Assessment and management of any bushfire risk and ongoing engagement with the Rural Fire Service are integral to the project design.

The batteries are proposed to be stored in purpose-built containers, both of which undergo rigorous fire testing as part of the manufacturing process. Additionally, each container has its own gas-based fire suppression system that activates in the unlikely event of a fire incident. The gas replaces the oxygen in the container, so the fire goes out. Cooling pads are also placed between the battery cells and other components to enhance thermal conductivity, preventing overheating and ensuring efficient operation.

Other mitigations include creating a gravel platform for the battery containers to sit on and creating robust weed management programs to ensure no fuel is near the infrastructure, so it isolates the BESS.

X-ELIO is exploring several other mitigations, including working with the Rural Fire Service (RFS) to deliver firefighting training to its operational staff and housing additional firefighting equipment on site or nearby. Equipment might also be shared with local RFS teams to assist with any regional fire incidents.

The management measures implemented will be consistent with the requirements of the NSW Government and the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Planning for Bush Fire Protection guidelines.

X-ELIO is committed to working with the Goulburn Mulwaree Rural Fire District to understand site-specific requirements and firefighting access. For example, a second access road has been added to ensure alignment with good practice.

Appropriate site-specific mitigation measures such as Asset Protection Zones, adequate water supply and perimeter roads will be incorporated into the project design and agreed upon with the Rural Fire District before construction.

Each site will utilise leading battery technology and safety management systems that are more advanced than many of those involved in high-profile incidents. Nevertheless, the proposed projects’ development and operation will be delivered in close cooperation with the Rural Fire Service. We cannot operate without the Rural Fire Services’ approval.

During operations, BESS can generate low-level noise from the cooling system and the inverters, which are located between the batteries and convert the energy into electricity.

As part of the EIS, we will undertake a noise impact assessment to model the predicted noise levels during construction and when the BESS is operational. The assessment will be based on the specific construction and operational equipment used across both stages.

If required, project designs will consider mitigation measures such as installing noise barriers or controlling the speed of the cooling system fans.

Operational noise impacts will be assessed in line with the NSW Environment Protection Authority’s (EPA’s) NSW Noise Policy for Industry.

As part of the EIS, we will undertake a noise impact assessment to model the predicted noise levels during construction. The assessment will be based on the specific construction methods and equipment used.

We will use construction mitigation measures, such as installing temporary noise barriers if required.

The Department will also stipulate acceptable noise levels if it approves the Project.

This will be determined when more details are known about the project’s construction, design, transmission connections, and the specific equipment for on-site use.

During construction, the Project will use water misters to wet the site to minimise the spread of dust and sediment and to create erosion control barriers.

A landscape and visual impact assessment will be undertaken during the development of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS), the current stage of the planning process, to identify any visual amenity impacts from the project’s construction and develop strategies for managing or mitigating these.

Once this has been undertaken, we will talk with nearby residents to understand the specific needs of neighbours based on visual impacts for nearby occupied dwellings so that appropriate mitigation measures can be determined and incorporated into the project design.

Site access will be considered part of project planning, which will also consider the scale of the construction works and the timings of construction vehicle movements.

Prior to the construction phase, we will work closely with the Council and regulators and use traffic modelling to manage potential impacts on local roads associated with the project.

In addition, projects of this type usually require dilapidation surveys to be completed before and after construction, and the project developer must bring the road back to its original quality at project completion.

The proposed Project site at Canyonleigh is accessed via Canyonleigh Road, an unsealed local road. If the project is approved, X-ELIO will work with the Council and project developers in the area (as we will likely share haulage routes) to monitor or maintain the road.

At Willavale, project access may be required via Wollogorang Road, which is unsealed. Should it be required for construction haulage, X-ELIO will work with NSW DPHI on requirements to upgrade or maintain the road.

During the construction phase, X-ELIO will work closely with the Council to minimise potential impacts on local traffic.

Additionally, we will notify the community before any activities that may cause traffic impacts, before any access changes, or if we think there might be delays to travel times caused by construction works. The traffic management plan will also support this.

The standard operation lifecycle for similar large-scale energy projects is 20-30 years; however, it is driven primarily by use cycles. This will be reviewed in consultation with the Council and community as required.

Once the site has reached the end of its lifecycle, the project infrastructure can be dismantled, with all structures and ancillary facilities removed, returning the land to its pre-existing condition.

A detailed decommissioning plan will be created for the project as part of the permitting process. This plan includes a commitment and budget to implement it and specifications for how the site will be returned to its original condition.

X-ELIO welcomes information from the local community regarding agricultural land use, as it will help us better understand potential past, present, and future agricultural impacts and mitigation measures.

The proposed Canyonleigh BESS Project site is located at Canyonleigh Road, in Brayton, NSW, opposite the existing Marulan Substation. It sits 12 kilometres north of Marulan and 36 kilometres northeast of Goulburn.

An extensive location and pre-feasibility connection assessment was conducted in 2023, which first informed the selection of the region and initial site. Among the many factors that were considered when choosing the project location, the key ones were:

• Land suitability and environmental factors such as topography, soil and hydrology.
• Proximity to grid infrastructure and network load capacity.
• Site accessibility via road.

Additionally, the site’s proximity to Transgrid’s Marulan Substation was a key factor in site selection, minimising the length of the transmission route and making it easier to store power from and provide power back to the national grid.

The project is currently in the EIS phase of the approval process with the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI).

Currently, we are continuing our technical studies and planning engagement activities to seek input to inform the project design. This will feed into the EIS Report, which we hope to submit to DPHI in late 2025. We can only establish when construction might start if approval is provided from DPHI. It is expected to start in in early 2026.

The project area currently under study spans approximately 48 hectares, with battery structures and associated infrastructure expected to occupy nine hectares onsite (4-6 hectares for the battery and an additional 2-3 hectares for infrastructure and fencing).

The battery storage capacity is 300 MW, which allows for up to 4 hours of storage.

Allowing for fire and vegetation protection zones, it is anticipated the BESS will be set back significantly from Canyonleigh Road. The final site layout will be determined during the current EIS phase.