Posted: 13.05.2024
The NSW Independent Planning Commission has today approved, subject to conditions, a proposal by Dubbo Firming Nominees Pty Ltd to develop a firming power station on Yarrandale Road in an existing heavy industrial area of north Dubbo, located in the Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone. The Dubbo Firming Power Station (SSD-28088034) is a state significant development comprising a new 64-megawatt (MW) firming power station, a hydrogen generation plant and ancillary infrastructure including gas and fuel storage including a gas storage pipeline and connection to the existing gas network.
The Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure publicly exhibited the Environmental Impact Statement and consulted with relevant agencies including Dubbo Regional Council last year. The Department then completed its whole-of-government assessment in March this year before it was referred to the Commission for determination because the Applicant made a reportable political donation. The three-member Commission Panel, comprising Ken Kanofski (Chair), Michael Chilcott and Andrew Mills, met with key stakeholders including Dubbo Regional Council, conducted a site inspection and received nine written submissions from the community.
The Panel has today, 13 May 2024, determined to grant development consent to the project.
In its Statement of Reasons the Commission found that “the Project would assist in the transition of electricity supply from traditional coal and gas fired power generation to renewable energy generation, and provide security to the NSW electricity grid when the supply of electricity from other sources (particularly intermittent sources such as wind and solar power) is insufficient to meet demand."
The Commission has imposed conditions to set operational limits on the development, including that hydrogen must be produced using renewable electricity only. The Applicant must prepare an air quality monitoring plan to verify the emissions performance of the development and is required to comply with EPA regulations relating to air pollutants.
These and other conditions of consent are designed to:
All the 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/2024/03/dubbo-firming-power-station
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