Waste and infrastructure company HiQ Group has proposed a $15bn development at its Bulla eco-hub quarry combining the well-publicised waste-to-energy generation, and a hole new set of additions including battery storage, a data centre, and housing.
The company outlined the plan, internally titled “Project Nexus,” in a brochure released seeking investment and development partners.
The site is located about 40 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD and 13 kilometres from Melbourne Airport.
Waste-to-energy
HiQ said a proposed waste-to-energy facility would process 750,000 tonnes of waste annually and generate at least 80 megawatts of electricity.
The proposal includes a battery energy storage system with up to one gigawatt of capacity across two facilities, connected to transmission lines near the site.
Victoria has legislated targets for at least 2.6 gigawatts of storage capacity by 2030 and at least 6.3 gigawatts by 2035, according to the state government.
HiQ said the Nexus plan includes a data centre with up to one gigawatt of processing capacity.
The proposal allocates 50 to 100 hectares for an industrial park, and more than 50 hectares for medium- to high-density housing.
The federal government’s National Housing Accord has set a target of 1.2 million new homes nationally by 2029. The Victorian government has committed to 2.24 million new homes over 30 years.
HiQ said the precinct would be supported financially by its existing resource recovery, soil and water treatment, and construction material operations on the site. The company said it has a 40-year plan to rehabilitate its existing quarry and landfill.
The proposal has not yet received planning or environmental approval. HiQ’s brochure describes the site as “recognised in long-term state and local government infrastructure planning” but does not specify the status of formal applications.