Yanco Battery Energy Storage System

Waste of money, facilitates more mining all over the world, will not last more than 10 years then becomes toxic waste, will not be able to supply power overnight. Noisy, likely backed up by diesel generators. Huge risk of thermal runaway, any fire cannot be extinguished and will cover the area in the most toxic smoke.

Is this BESS drawing from the grid to prevent thermal runaway? Or is it continually backed up by diesel generators? Do the neighbours know how noisy this BESS will be? What happens to the batteries in 10 years time when they need to be replaced? This project is total waste of taxpayers money. How much slave labour is used in the production/extraction of materials for this BESS?

Attached

See attachment

I object and do NOT consent to the Yanco Battery Energy Storage System. Why?
*Harm to Tourism Industry, Clearing of Forests
Wide easements will be required for the high voltage power lines. An ABC News article reports that hundreds of hectares of forest will need to be cleared in order to create a 90 metre easement:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-07-19/residents-fear-transmission-line-will-ruin-tourism/12465286

The transmission line has been called "a scar on the landscape" that threatens the income of local tourism businesses (due to the visual impact of the line and the effects on tourist-attracting flora and fauna).

*Loss of Precious Agricultural Land
Agricultural land taken up by required infrastructure (including wide easements) will become unavailable for agricultural use. According to TasFarmers, "The impact on farming properties will be immense and given the ongoing dedication of everyone within the agricultural industry to not only their livelihoods but also the greater prosperity of our state these impacts should be avoided where possible."
Link to article: https://tasfarmers.com.au/news/north-west-transmission-development

The State Planning Office states:
"All agriculture depends on access to suitable soil. While the fertility of soils can be renewed, the loss of access to soils through conversion to other land uses is often irreversible. Reducing the breakup (fragmentation) of agricultural land and its conversion to non-agricultural use is important for the economic viability of the farming sector. This is one of the main objectives of the State Policy."
Link to page: https://www.stateplanning.tas.gov.au/topics/rural-planning

*Loss of Property, Devaluation of Homes/Farms
Some property owners are at risk of losing a substantial part of their land through compulsory acquisition to make way for high voltage towers and other infrastructure, potentially leading to financial hardship and emotional distress.

*Fire Risk
High voltage transmission lines pose a risk of fires, especially in the high fire risk areas of regional and rural Tasmania. In Victoria, where a similar situation exists, volunteer firefighters from at least 24 brigades have refused to fight fires around new renewables projects and transmission lines, due to serious, life-threatening safety concerns:

Volunteer firefighters say they will not fight fires around new renewables projects, transmission lines
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2024-06-19/cfa-renewables-protest-volunteer-firefighters-transmission-lines/103995318

Letter of Demands:
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/666fbe726b8433675b4b60e5/t/666fcade2c48fc6ef840a0a0/1718602469171/RE+Impacted+CFA+Brigades+Letter+of+Demands+and+sign+off+FINAL+14+June+24.pdf

Smoke from fires near or under transmission lines can create electrical arcs or flashovers, which are potentially life-threatening to those nearby:
https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about-us/what-we-do/fighting-fires-around-transmission-lines
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-20/lithium-ion-batteries
*Leakage of SF6 Gas (a potent greenhouse gas) into the Environment
SF6 (sulphur hexafluoride) is a synthetic gas that is widely used in the electrical industry as insulating material in switchgear for medium and high-voltage electrical installations. It is a component in distribution and transmission equipment in the power network and is found in large power stations and electrical sub-stations. SF6 is an extremely potent greenhouse gas that enters the atmosphere through leaks in the electricity industry. Wind and solar farms require a significantly longer and more complex energy grid than a fossil fuels-based system, which means more switchgear is needed, and therefore more SF6 is leaked into the environment. (Recall that the North West Transmission Developments Project alone involves 240 kilometres of high-voltage power lines.)

The global warming potential of SF6 gas is 23,500 times that of CO2, with an extremely long atmospheric lifetime of 3,200 years – the highest global warming potential of any known substance. SF6 cannot be absorbed or destroyed naturally (unlike CO2, which is absorbed by plants). Atmospheric concentrations of SF6 gas have nearly doubled in the last two decades, "as an unintended consequence of the green energy boom":

Climate change: Electrical industry’s “dirty secret” boosts warming
https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-49567197?ref=WindEurope

Evaluation of SF6 Leakage from Gas Insulated Equipment on Electricity Networks in Great Britain
https://doi.org/10.3390/en11082037

*Electromagnetic Radiation and Harm to Human Health
Electromagnetic radiation from high-voltage electric lines – especially long-term exposure – has been linked to health problems in humans, particularly cancer (including leukemia in children), as well as other conditions. The greatest health risk is to children, pregnant women, and those with underlying health problems.

Health Hazards of Electromagnetic Radiation
https://www.scirp.org/html/50957.html

DOI Link: http://dx.doi.org/10.4236/jbm.2014.28001

Evidence that electromagnetic fields from high voltage powerlines and in buildings, are hazardous to human health, especially to young children
https://researcharchive.lincoln.ac.nz/server/api/core/bitstreams/7d07ed5e-0945-4b27-bdf2-15a9c7f1acd7/content

The very clear evidence from NSW, where they were unbelievably and unacceptably asked to "turn off their dishwashers, washing machines and air conditioners between 3pm - 8pm on a warm, spring day "to help the grid" because it couldn't handle the load. Not to mention Broken Hill's power being off for a long time after the hurricane that touched down in their area, effectively shutting off all of the "renewables only" in the area, thus, cutting off power to everyone in Broken Hill.

It seems that "renewables only" are NOT working and obviously cannot work without permanent coal, gas or nuclear baseload power.

Very recent further evidence that renewables only are NOT working and are unacceptably causing constituents to have to sit in the dark for long periods of time:

"The leaps of faith in this vision are cavernous and almost entirely ignore the laws of physics as well as the constraints of engineering and economics. Take, for instance, the proposition that we have oodles of land. Yes and no. Wind turbines are best located on the ridge lines of mountains; hence the desecration of much of the Great Dividing Range. It also ignores the entirely legitimate preferences of the existing users of the land.

Siting renewable energy installations a long distance from the demand involves massive costs in terms of additional transmission lines, voltage loss and refitting of distribution systems. As for the proposition that all this electricity from renewable sources can be effectively used by existing and new large-scale plants is another whimsy." Chris Bowen is wrong to call Australia a renewable energy superpower | The Australian, 03 December 2024.

"In fact, across the past year, the Australian Energy Market Operator’s data dashboard records that brown and black coal supplied 64 per cent of the eastern grid’s electricity and gas 6 per cent. So 70 per cent fossil fuel then. Wind delivered 15 per cent of generation across the same time and grid-scale solar 8 per cent.

So coal is far and away the most reliable generator on the eastern national electricity market.

"Search the arid desert of Bowen’s words and there are usually some grains of truth. It is true that, like Animal Farm’s loyal carthorse, Boxer, the dependable generators on the grid are being flogged to death to make up for the routine failure of wind and solar to show up for work." Chris Uhlmann: Bowen plan threatens to leave us in the dark | The Australian, 30 November 2024.

"They tried to appear flippant, to give the impression this power rationing on a warm day was acceptable and all part of the plan. NSW Premier Chris Minns, his Energy Minister Penny Sharpe and federal Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen asked us to refrain from washing clothes or dishes for a few hours and to dial up the thermostat on the aircon – according to them, we do not need to be as cool as we would like to be.

Wouldn’t you love to see their thermostats? They mentioned the pool filter, too; it should be flicked to off – perhaps splashing in the pool and cranking up the aircon can be saved until winter."
"Labor and the Greens (and, let us be frank, too many Liberals over the years) have given us an energy grid that works well enough as long as there is not strong demand for electricity. It is like a bucket with holes halfway up the side, or a fence with a gap – next I suppose they will design a tunnel that is too narrow for the trains or a ferry that can’t squeeze under the bridge. (I know, I know, governments have already given us these innovations.)" Australia’s energy grid can’t handle a few warm days | The Australian, 29th November 2024.
I have also enclosed in this email further evidence of the extreme risk of bushfires breaking out from wind turbines, the high voltage transmission lines the wind turbines, large battery storage containers, solar farms (along with Marinus Link) that are or planned to be connected to and the how the large battery storage containers and solar farms themselves are extreme bushfire hazards. Worse, it seems that the 2500 wind turbines in Victoria have no critical fire safety suppression equipment on them, which should be standard on every wind turbine, especially since they are connected to the high voltage transmission lines and the dangers of flashovers. What is a flashover and why is it so dangerous and potentially life threatening?
"A flashover is when electricity, especially at higher voltages, jumps across an air gap to create a conductive path. A flashover may occur between wires or from wires to the ground - this may be seen as a flash or heard as an explosion or loud cracking sound."

I Vehemently Object to Yanco BESS.

Cease and Desist Yanco BESS because Australia is a Dry Continent and Not being Cared for in the Way it needs, which is GROWING plants, Not infrastructure, metal, and toxic, upon the Lands Farmlands, under Threats unlike Ever before.



Oh God Please Stop the Nonsense, Please God, Please God, Please. Have the Australian and State Governments spend the money on Eight Only Brand New Coal Fired Power Stations for Australia, Yes, Only Eight for needed for Australia, with Only Three needed in NSW where we can have Our Farmlands back, Our Precious, Precious Precious Farmlands back, so Next 8 Generations receive the Land in a Far Better condition than the one planned by the Ignorant in gov.au, and nsw.gov.au.



I Demand a GREEN Environment, Free of Infrastructure Man Made upon Farmlands Next 8 Generations Will need, yes, Will, yes Will. Yes. Will.



I Demand a Moratorium on BESS Immediately Immediately Immediately.



The governments Australian and State and Local have Not discussed the BESS rollout with their Population, trying to stop them, and Knowing why.



How do we Stop you, gov.au, nsw.gov.au ?



I hold you Accountable, being every one of you who has decided Our Future without our awareness, our input, and our Knowledge maybe you need to Research more, hey, you there in your Offices, in air Conditioned Offices, deciding Our Future from Far away, Far away, far away.


Look where Asc Energy HQ are - an inner suburb of Melbourne, Camberwell. Hmmm. Don’t see Farmers here hey.

Cease and Desist BESS , Toxic, yes they are, and you Should Know that , Hey.

“ACEnergy was founded by renewable energy experts across the development value chain to meet the growing demand for high quality utility-scale solar and BESS projects that will be critical to achieving decarbonisation projects.”



Comment:- Decarbonisation. Decarbonisation. Um….What Crap ! And I’m Tired of it.



You people need a Learning Lesson about Mother Earth You Harm and Cause Loss To For No Reason At All.



You are a Disgrace Yes.



Cease operating, ACEnergy. Immediately. Thanks.



How Do you get away with it ? I know. I am in contact with Elders you see. They would Never enable MORE infrastructure Man Made upon their Country. Never. How Do you get away with it, what you say, ACEnergy, on your website, full of marketing Crap, yes Crap, Yes Crap.



I Demand All Investment upon a Dry Continent re Decarbonisation is this :-



- 473,287,474 Trillion Trillion Trees, planted by the Australian people being paid for the work that Will benefit Every Human upon a Land named Australia from January 2025, when Renewables and BESS Cease and Desist upon Precious Precious Precious Farmlands that Include Wetlands – for God’s Sake - the Australian and State Governments have NO awareness of, STILL. Neither do you, ACEnergy, but Claim you do. How Do you get away with it ?



I Demand a Moratorium on BESS Immediately.



“ We work closely with all parties in the development process including investors, landholders, regulators and offtakers…” One community session offered in May 2024 was it ? Pretty pathetic, ACEnergy.



How Dare you.



“An offtake agreement is a contract between a producer and buyer to purchase or sell goods before they are produced. It helps producers secure financing, prices, and demand for their products, and buyers lock in supply and hedge against market volatility.”



Offtakers Cease and Desist.



Investors Be able to Offer Appropriate Land Management to Benefit Community into 500 years from Now.



How ?



Bio-matter and it is. Bio-matter. Not infrastructure. Bio-matter.



Bio-matter.



Bio-matter. Makes the C go away.



Infrastructure creates C.



Nature grow.



Infrastructure Not Needed Cease.



Cease BESS Now from NOW, a toxic method Not needed near community Australian.



BESS is a toxic infrastructure made in another community’s nation and is not at all “clean”.



Coal Choose, Investors. Grow Australian Made Homes, Investors, with added wind and solar, where there will be No need for BESS you see.



Wind will be Tiny Turbines spinning 24/7 on Our Rooftops, Australian. No Need for BESS at all. Invest in millions of Tiny Turbines, Investors.



Thanks, investors.



You can be Responsible Too, Investors, for Impacts of BESS in Our Countryside, Ours.



It’s Ours.



Ours. Yes Ours.



No need for BESS at all.



I Hold All government personnel and companies, offering BESS infrastructure, Fully Responsible and Accountable.



Mayor of Leeton, Shame on you.



Leeton Shire Council, Shame on you. It will be you Fully responsible and Accountable for BESS decommissioning.



Dear God, we must Stop them offering BESS.



You will burn us, gov.au ignorant, and not the Aussies in the outback, near towns, but not near cities.



I am Holding you Fully Responsible and Accountable for fires that come from solar and BESS, ACEnergy and gov.au. You. Not the Host, innocent, or paid too much Hey, as we All, Australians All, pay Far Too Much for electricity. Why ? gov.au is why.



Gov.au, I hold you Fully Responsible and Accountable for Harm and Loss to Farmlands and Our Future as Australians.



[email protected], and [email protected] Shame on you. You will be Fully Responsible and Accountable for deciding other people’s futures, yes. Who do you think you are, hm ? You have No idea what you are doing, just for Money, Just for Money, Money. Money. Shame on you all.

CWO REZist Inc. objects to the Yanco BESS.

The BESS will be using lithium technology. Batteries use lead, lithium and cobalt, all of which are hazardous materials. This is of much concern to residents and the community as ordinary fire suppression measures cannot extinguish a Lithium chemical reaction fire. A fire that occurred in the 350MW/450MWh BESS during testing on 30 July 2021 in Geelong, Victoria shows how dangerous it can be for nearby residents. When one of the 13 tonne battery packs caught fire, it burned for three days and resulted in the evacuation of residents because of the toxic fumes generated.

A fire in a BESS would threaten immediate residents and those residing in the nearby.

What about end of life for the BESS? According to the CSIRO in 2021, only 10% of Australia's 3,300 tonnes of lithium-ion battery waste was recycled. Lithium battery waste is growing at 20% a year. Most of Australia's battery waste is shipped overseas, with the remaining waste going to landfill, leading to potential fires and environmental contamination. This is NOT ‘green”!

The Yanco Battery Energy Storage System represents a significant step in advancing New South Wales’ renewable energy transition. However, the considerable environmental, safety, and community risks associated with the project outweigh its potential benefits. The risks of fire and explosion, contamination of soil and water by hazardous chemicals, and the adverse impacts on local flora, fauna, and biodiversity are substantial and pose long-term environmental consequences.
Furthermore, the disruption to Indigenous cultural heritage, coupled with community health and well-being concerns, highlights significant gaps in the project's planning and consultation processes. The inadequate regulatory frameworks and unresolved issues surrounding the lifecycle of lithium-ion batteries, including ethical supply chain challenges and end-of-life disposal, exacerbate these risks.
Given the severity of these concerns, the Yanco BESS project should not proceed in its current form. Instead, efforts should be directed toward identifying alternative locations, technologies, or approaches that can deliver energy storage benefits while avoiding irreparable harm to the environment, local communities, and Indigenous heritage. Such a decision would demonstrate a commitment to sustainable and ethical energy development aligned with the principles of environmental stewardship and social responsibility.

Please see my attached submission.

Given the importance of the climate crisis, and the crucial role energy storage systems play in providing clean energy when needed, this development must be approved as soon as possible.
The detailed environmental impact statement shows the project has taken great care to avoid and mitigate impacts. It must be approved without restriction as soon as possible.

Locals question the rationale of replacing agricultural land, crucial for food security, with industrial Bess, arguing it’s counterproductive to climate goals

Chemicals from the solar panels or batteries could potentially seep into the Macquarie River, harming aquatic life

Proximity to industrial installations could reduce property values, negatively impacting residents and rural finances

Disturbance near Tim Bong Falls may harm its unique flora and fauna.

Loss of farmland and concerns over environmental changes can lead to anxiety and mental health struggles in rural communities.

Residents are concerned they were not adequately consulted and feel the decision is upon them in a very short space of time

Clearing native vegetation for the project may impact bee and insect populations crucial for local crops and bats

Dust from construction could affect air quality and crop health.









Large amounts of water will be needed for construction, potentially straining local water resources.

Dust from construction could affect air quality and crop health.

Construction and maintenance will bring increased traffic, disturbing rural roads and safety.