NSW Approves 200 MWh Deniliquin East Battery Despite 70+ Objections

New South Wales planning authorities have approved a 100 MW/200 MWh battery storage project near Deniliquin in southern Australia, clearing the way for construction to begin in 2027 despite more than 70 public objections. The development application for the Deniliquin East Battery Energy Storage System was signed off by the state Planning Department’s executive director on September 24, developer Bess Arctic — the Australian arm of Spain-headquartered Gransolar Group — confirmed.

What was approved

The AUD 118 million ($82.7 million) project, sited roughly 7 kilometers southeast of Deniliquin and about 712 kilometers southwest of Sydney, will house around 80 containerized lithium-ion battery modules on a 3.53-hectare footprint, rated at 100 MW/200 MWh nominal capacity with 120 MW/240 MWh of total cell capacity. Deniliquin East will operate until 2060 under the approval and is expected to generate 52 construction jobs and two ongoing operational positions, alongside AUD 600,000 in community benefit payments earmarked for the roughly 9,000 residents of Edward River Council.

Objections centered on fire risk and consultation

More than 70 objections were lodged against the project, including from “Save Our Surroundings” campaign groups active across New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. Concerns cited fire and safety hazards associated with grid-scale lithium-ion storage, the broader merits of renewable-energy development in the area, and land-use compatibility; six submissions specifically challenged the adequacy of the public consultation process. The Planning Department nonetheless found the agricultural land loss from the project’s footprint negligible and approved the application.

Safety concerns are becoming a standard feature of BESS approvals

The volume and organization of objections at Deniliquin East reflect a pattern now common to grid-scale battery proposals across New South Wales and Victoria: campaign groups increasingly cite fire and thermal-runaway risk from lithium-ion installations as their primary concern, alongside more conventional planning objections over land use and visual impact. Regulators have generally responded by requiring enhanced fire-suppression and battery-management specifications rather than rejecting projects outright, a pattern that held again at Deniliquin, where the Planning Department’s approval came with the agricultural and environmental impacts assessed as manageable within the site’s 3.53-hectare footprint.

Part of a broader BESS wave in NSW

Deniliquin East adds to a fast-growing pipeline of grid-scale battery approvals across New South Wales, where developers are racing to lock in storage capacity as the state’s grid absorbs more intermittent renewable generation. It follows the same trajectory that pushed Australia’s grid operator to connect a record 9.1 GW of combined renewables and storage capacity in the last financial year, and reflects the same underlying grid dynamics that have made technologies like the Tesla Megapack a familiar fixture in Australian project pipelines. At 200 MWh, Deniliquin East is modest next to Australia’s largest batteries, but its approval — despite sustained local opposition — signals continued regulatory tailwinds for storage projects even as objections over fire risk and siting grow more organized.

Sources

• ESS News (Energy-Storage.News/ess-news.com), “Australian state approves 200 MWh battery despite 70-plus objections,” September 25, 2026
• PV Magazine Australia, “Deniliquin East BESS granted development application,” September 25, 2026

Illustrative image. Photo: blmcalifornia, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons — source