Clements Gap Battery

Locations

Capitalising on Pacific Blue’s Clements Gap Wind Farm’s connection to the grid, Clements Gap BESS will be located adjacent to the existing wind farm.

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The project is located in the South Australia’s mid-north, approximately 20km northeast of Port Broughton, and 160km from Adelaide’s CBD.

Community 

Pacific Blue has been present in South Australia’s Mid North community since the commissioning of the Clements Gap Wind Farm in 2010. Through regular engagement as part of the wind farm’s operations, and through the Sustainable Communities Fund, Pacific Blue enjoys a strong relationship with the local Clements Gap community. 

The Clements Gap Wind Farm Sustainable Communities Fund has a strong track record of delivering lasting benefits in the local area, contributing over $660,000 to more than 100 projects since 2010. 

Pacific Blue has engaged with neighbours, Traditional Owners, Governments, and the local community on the Clements Gap BESS, and will continue engaging with these important stakeholders throughout construction and operation. 

Local Benefits

Pacific Blue has a strong track record of delivering lasting benefits in the local area through the Clements Gap Wind Farm Sustainable Communities Fund, which has contributed over $660,000 to more than 100 projects since 2010.

The Clements Gap BESS will employ between 30 and 60 people during construction, with the project prioritising sourcing local contractors where feasible.

Environment

Fire Risk Mitigation and Management

As one of the newest forms of new energy technology to be installed in the grid, it is reasonable for community members to want to understand what steps Pacific Blue is taking to mitigate fire risk from the Clements Gap BESS.

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Safety and the protection of the communities in which we operate is our top priority. The technology that Pacific Blue is adopting has sophisticated monitoring capability and safety systems installed to monitor and manage the state of the battery.

Some of these systems include:

• Cooling systems to keep the battery system within safe operating temperatures,
• Individual shut off technology, to shut down certain packs if they are operating outside of how the battery is allowed to safely operate,
• A fire suppression system that will activate in an emergency to release a fire suppression agent,
• Automated software to immediately flag to our Operations and Safety teams and the CFS if there is a fire.
• Clearance space between the battery packs and the site boundary to prevent the spread in the event of a fire, following the Victorian Country Fire Authority Design Guidelines and Model Requirements for Renewable Energy Facilities document.  

Located adjacent to the Clements Gap Wind Farm, Pacific Blue is in frequent contact with the South Australian Country Fire Service as part of our day-to-day operations at the wind farm. Within the course of the project’s design, Pacific Blue engaged the SA CFS on preliminary plans, incorporating their feedback into our design.  

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During the project’s construction and operation, Pacific Blue will continue to consult with representative bodies, such as the CFS and industry specialists, regarding the development of the battery’s Fire and Emergency Management Plan.

Assessments and Management Plans

Pacific Blue prepared the below environmental assessments as part of the projects development approval process:

• Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment,  
• Flora and Fauna Assessment,
• Noise and Visual Impact Assessment,
• Traffic Impact Assessment.

Through reviews and engagement with key stakeholders such as Port Pirie Council and South Australian Government, Pacific Blue received Development Authorisation (DA) on 11 May 2021. As project design progressed, a variation to the DA occurred to allow for an increase in battery capacity and allowed for further environmental assessments to occur. DA variation approval was granted on 11 November 2022.  

Prior to construction commencing, Pacific Blue and the project contractor will develop these assessments into management plans to mitigate the impacts that have been identified in these assessments.

Management plans are consulted with and approved by the appropriate government authority, such as the Traffic Management Plan being approved by the South Australian Commissioner of Highways and the Environmental Management Plan approved by the Minister for Planning. 

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The Clements Gap BESS Project is supported by the Australian Federal Government's Capacity Investment Scheme. Find out more here.