Heatherton BESS

The Challenge

Success depends on multiple interdependent workstreams reaching a compatible outcome. Planning requires coordinated engagement with DTP, Kingston Council, Fire Rescue Victoria and surrounding stakeholders. At the same time, the physical design must satisfy acoustic limits, fire-safety requirements, equipment clearances and emergency access while preserving the commercial capacity of the project. On the grid side, a 60 MW inverter-based battery connected at 66 kV requires detailed dynamic modelling, harmonic assessment and negotiation of performance standards with United Energy and AEMO. Grid-forming technology adds further complexity where technology-specific behaviour must be reconciled with automatic and negotiated access standards.

OnyX’s Role

• Established and maintained the project design basis and coordinated the preliminary engineering layout around planning, fire, acoustic and grid requirements.
• Integrated CATL TENER Stack battery technology with Power Electronics PCS equipment and managed technical interfaces between OEMs and consultants.
• Appointed and coordinated specialist advisers across planning, fire engineering, acoustic assessment, preliminary design and grid modelling.
• Managed the Preliminary Hazard Analysis and Fire Risk Assessment process, direct engagement with FRV, and consequence-modelling information required for regulatory review.
• Coordinated night-time acoustic monitoring and worked with CATL and Power Electronics to establish representative equipment operating conditions, cooling behaviour and sound data.
• Managed the grid connection interface between the modelling team, United Energy, AEMO and equipment suppliers, including model validation, tuning, harmonic assessment and early alignment on performance standards.
• Actively resolved information gaps and conflicting requirements before they became critical-path issues, including direct escalation to OEM technical teams when product information was incomplete.

Development Outcome

Heatherton demonstrates what OnyX means by active development management: identifying where planning, engineering, OEM, regulatory and grid requirements conflict; resolving those conflicts early; and keeping multiple parties moving toward one investable outcome. The project is progressing through the final approval pathway toward DTP planning approval and completion of the formal grid connection assessment, with OnyX managing the project through to a fully approved and ready-to-build development position.

Capabilities