ORIGIN Energy is planning to construct a $47 million terminal station south of Lismore to deliver power from the new Stockyard Hill wind farm into the electricity grid.
The company has lodged a planning permit application with Corangamite Shire for the project on a 158-hectare site at the north-east corner of the Lower Darlington and Smiths roads, just east of the main Camperdown-Lismore Road.
The station, which would cover a seven-hectare footprint, is close to the crossover point for two existing transmission lines — the 220kV Terang-Ballarat and 500 kV Moorabool-Heywood power lines.
A new transmission line will be constructed from the 157-turbine Stockyard Hill project, north of Skipton, to the proposed terminal station. The wind farm was originally designed with 242 turbines and a terminal station at Berrybank, but the project was cut back to gain state government planning approval in 2010.
Origin’s project team was then forced to review the original terminal site in an effort to deliver the maximum amount of renewable energy to customers.
The Australian energy market operator also advised the company that it would prefer terminal stations to be located in areas that provide greater flexibility for the future development of the transmission network.
The shire’s planning and building manager Ray McInerny said the application for a new station near Lismore was lodged by SKM Consultants on behalf of Origin this week.
“Due to the change in government and its new state planning scheme, Corangamite Shire is now the responsible authority that must assess this new application,” Mr McInerny said.
The company will not require planning approval for the new power line but will have to negotiate directly with landowners.
The project also involves alterations to the intersection of the Lower Darlington Road and Camperdown-Lismore Road.
The application will be advertised this month, with the shire seeking submissions from the public.
“At the completion of the notification and consultation period, a recommendation to either support or refuse the application will be put to councillors for their consideration,” Mr McInerny said.
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