02 October 2025
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has today approved the Yanco Battery Energy Storage System (SSD-067478479) located approximately seven kilometres south of Leeton in the Leeton Shire Council Local Government Area.
ACEnergy Pty Ltd sought approval for a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) with a capacity of up to 250 MW / 1100 MWh, associated infrastructure and approximately 450m of transmission line connecting to Yanco substation. The provision of 250 MW / 1100 MWh of firming capacity would assist in managing fluctuations in renewable energy supply, thereby improving grid stability and energy security. The Project is expected to generate 70 full-time jobs during the construction phase and up to five full-time operational jobs.
This State significant development (SSD) application was referred to the NSW Independent Planning Commission for determination because more than 50 public objections were made to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure during its assessment of the project.
The two-member Panel, comprising Ken Kanofski (Chair) and Dr Bronwyn Evans AM, met with key stakeholders, conducted a site inspection and locality tour, held local meetings where they heard from five community members, and received 11 written submissions.
In its Statement of Reasons for Decision, the Commission found that the project “would contribute positively to the State’s transition to a lower-carbon energy system and deliver benefits to the State’s electricity network by enhancing grid reliability and supporting the integration of renewable energy sources”.
The Commission considered concerns raised through submissions relating to fire risk, contamination and human health, land use compatibility, decommissioning and rehabilitation, biodiversity and visual impacts. The Commission has imposed conditions of consent to minimise the adverse impacts of the project by requiring ACEnergy Pty Ltd to:
- establish and maintain a vegetation buffer to mitigate the visual impacts of the BESS;
- construct a noise wall to mitigate operational noise for nearby receivers;
- undertake pre- and post-construction dilapidation surveys of affected roads and to repair any direct impacts of the Project;
- prepare a Fire Safety Study and an Emergency Plan in consultation with Fire and Rescue NSW to ensure that fire safety measures and emergency response protocols are developed in accordance with best practice standards and are suitably tailored to the specific risks associated with the Project;
- prepare an Accommodation and Employment Strategy in consultation with Council to manage the Project’s workforce needs while minimising impacts on local housing and services and other potential cumulative impacts; and
- within 18 months of the cessation of operations, decommission the BESS and rehabilitate the site to its pre-existing condition.
All documents relating to the assessment and determination of this proposal can be found on the Commission’s website: https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/cases/yanco-battery-energy-storage-system.