Hume North BESS
A proposed sustainable energy storage system near Albury, New South Wales
Location: Lake Hume Village, NSW
Development Progress: Planning and approval
Power Network: Transgrid
About the project
Foresight Group is proposing to develop a new battery energy storage system (BESS) near Lake Hume Village, 13 kilometres from Albury and close to the border between New South Wales and Victoria.
The proposed Hume North BESS would deliver a significant renewable generation capability for the region, boost the local economy, reduce energy prices and contribute towards securing Australia’s future energy supply.
The Hume North BESS would have a capacity of up to 74 megawatts (MW) with two hours of storage (74MW / 148MWh). A direct 132kV connection via underground or overhead cabling would connect the proposed BESS to Transgrid’s transmission line on the Albury to Hume Power Station line.
Planning approval for a smaller BESS nearby was granted in 2020. If the application for the proposed 74MW / 148MWh BESS is approved, the existing approval for the smaller BESS would be surrendered. Only one BESS will be built in the area.
The Hume North BESS would support the Australian and New South Wales Governments commitment to increasing the use of clean, reliable energy to secure future energy supply across the country. It would also support Foresight’s goal to bring clean, reliable energy to the Australian energy market through investing in innovate battery technology.
We are committed to consulting the local community, visitors to the area, other stakeholders, and Government agencies, inviting feedback at each stage of the planning process and prior to submitting a planning application to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment.
The indicative planning timeline and community consultation periods include:
- Mid 2023 – Write to neighbouring landowners
- Late 2023 – Scoping report published
- Late 2023 / Early 2024 – Meet with the community and key stakeholders, to share information and gather feedback that will inform the project’s Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
- Q3, 2024 – EIS published
- Q3, 2024 – Receipt of formal submission by stakeholders and the community
- Q4, 2024 – Response to Submission Report published, sharing responses to submission from the community and stakeholders
- Early 2025 – Anticipated project approval
- Mid 2025 – Construction underway
- Mid 2026 – Hume North BESS operational
The timings provided are indicative only, and subject to change during the planning application.
Foresight submitted the Hume North BESS Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) in November 2024, following extensive community consultation and a series of technical and environmental studies.
The EIS will be exhibited for public comment from November 15 to December 13, 2024. During this period, all interested parties can review the EIS and provide feedback via the NSW Government Major Projects portal:
Following the exhibition period, Foresight will prepare a Response to Submissions Report to address the issues raised during the consultation. This report will carefully consider each submission and will be reviewed by the Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure before being published on the Major Projects website.
Foresight wishes to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which the proposed Hume North BESS is located, the Wiradjuri Nation, and pay our respects to the Elders past, present and emerging.