Projects

Freeling 250MW BESS Development

Client
Tesseract Sigma
Location
Freeling, South Australia
Project Duration
Development and early procurement: 6 months; Construction and commissioning: 2 years.
Sector
Renewable — grid-scale battery energy storage (BESS)
Rayo Entity
Rayo Group
Capacity
250MW /1000MWh BESS with 275kV Substation and underground transmission line

Rayo is leading the development, engineering, environmental approvals and community engagement for a 250MW grid-scale battery energy storage system and its associated transmission line near Freeling, South Australia — a project positioned to firm renewable generation and support grid stability in a constrained part of the network.

Working for Tesseract Sigma, Rayo is progressing the project through concept development, site studies and the environmental and licensing pathway required to reach a development-ready position.   

The Client

Tesseract Sigma is the project proponent for the Freeling BESS and transmission line.     

Grid-scale storage at this scale requires a coordinated development pathway — technical design, environmental assessment, community consultation and grid connection — before a project can move to construction. Rayo has been engaged to take the project through that pathway

“We’re pleased with the progress to date and appreciate Rayo’s open communication and ongoing engagement throughout the project. The team has worked collaboratively through each stage and supported us across areas beyond the original engagement where needed.”

The Scope

The Freeling BESS is a 250MW grid-scale battery project with an associated 275kV Substation and underground transmission line connecting it to the network. The development scope spans engineering design, a full suite of site studies, environmental assessment and the licensing pathway.

Rayo’s development work produced the technical and environmental evidence base needed to progress the project — including an Environmental Impact Report, Associated Infrastructure Licence application, Statement of Environmental Objectives, consultation plan and a landscape & visual impact assessment.

Key Elements

  • Concept development and project definition (250MW BESS + 275kV Substation and underground transmission line)
  • Engineering design and site studies / investigations
  • Environmental Impact Report (EIR)
  • Associated Infrastructure Licence (AIL) application and Statement of Environmental Objectives (SEO)
  • Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment
  • Community consultation planning
  • Grid connection / transmission line development

Project Specifications

BESS capacity

250MW

Storage / duration

1000MWh

HV Works

275kV Substation and Approx 1 km of underground line

Approvals milestone

Energy License application lodged with DEM

The Delivery

Approach & execution

Rayo coordinated the multi-disciplinary development effort — engineering, environmental and planning specialists — into a single, sequenced development pathway for the proponent.

Specialist environmental and visual studies were integrated with the engineering design so that layout, connection and mitigation decisions were evidence-led.

Community consultation is underwayand is being managed as part of the approvals pathway.    

What Rayo delivered

  • Concept development and engineering design progressed for the 250MW BESS,275kV Substation and associated underground transmission line
  • Full environmental and licensing evidence base prepared (EIR, AIL, SEO, consultation plan, visual impact assessment)
  • Negotiations in progress with Electranet

Results & outcomes

  • Negotiations started with Electranet on Grid connection. Energy License application lodged with department of energy and mining (NEM), Community engagement initiated and are in progress. Environmental, Landscape & Visual Impact Assessment in late stages
  • Development is progressing to programme, with the project targeting development-ready status within six months

Why Rayo?

Rayo  offers end-to-end capability across the energy infrastructure lifecycle — “from a parcel of land to a powered asset”. For Freeling, that meant taking a 250MW/1000MWh storage project from concept through the engineering, environmental and licensing work needed to become development-ready.

Combining in-house development, engineering and delivery capability under one roof gives proponents a single, accountable partner across a complex, multi-year pathway.

Technical depth

Integrated engineering and environmental development capability for grid-scale storage — from concept design and site studies to the full licensing and approvals pathway.

Delivery discipline

A single coordinated development pathway that keeps engineering, environmental and consultation workstreams aligned and evidence-led, reducing approval and connection risk for the proponent.

Team & experience

Rayo / Shift Energy development, engineering and delivery specialists.

Safety & compliance

An ISO-certified management system (ISO 9001 / 14001 / 45001) and a development approach built around environmental compliance, cultural heritage and community consultation.