Following extensive consultation, the northern energy hub for the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) will be relocated in an effort to significantly reduce potential impacts to private landowners and the Boorolong community.
EnergyCo and Origin Energy are working together to relocate the north hub from privately owned farms to Warrane, a section of Origin-owned land north-west of Armidale and the site of the proposed Northern Tablelands Wind Farm.
The north hub is one of four critical energy hubs, a type of substation, which will collect electricity from renewable energy generators in the REZ (such as wind and solar) and transfer it to the grid.
Co-locating the energy hub with the Northern Tablelands Wind Farm will reduce construction impacts to the community and ensure more power lines are located on land owned by renewable energy generators.
Importantly, Origin said its property is well placed to host the hub when assessed against the New South Wales Government Transmission Guideline and EnergyCo’s planning pillars. This includes fewer access constraints, reduced impact to farms and private property as well as areas of environmental and heritage significance and co-location with proposed wind farms.
The relocation of the north hub would not have been achieved without constructive engagement from landowners and the local community, which will continue over the coming months as EnergyCo works to refine the corridor for new powerlines connecting to the hub.
The move also marks the beginning of a long-term collaboration between EnergyCo and Origin to help deliver the New England REZ. Origin is one of several developers EnergyCo is working with to ensure the new REZ network achieves its purpose of providing affordable, clean energy to the grid.
EnergyCo New England REZ Deputy Project Director, Julian Watson, said, “We need to get the balance right by considering landowner and community feedback along with our technical and environmental expertise when designing a project of this size and scale. We are proud to have achieved this outcome as a direct result of collaboration with community and key stakeholders.
“EnergyCo is committed to working closely with landowners and communities to find solutions and this outcome is a great example of community-led feedback helping to design the project.
“We thank Origin for working with us to deliver this important change and look forward to further engagement as we develop the project.”
Origin Executive General Manager Energy Supply and Operations, Greg Jarvis, said that collaboration between renewable energy proponents, EnergyCo, landowners and the local community will be critical to the successful delivery of the New England REZ.
“Origin is delighted to have worked successfully with these groups to identify a solution that will help reduce the impacts of electrical connection and transmission infrastructure on landowners and the local community,” Mr Javis said.
“We will continue to work with EnergyCo, landowners and the local community on the delivery of both the north hub and the proposed Northern Tablelands Wind Farm.”
