A $100 million proposal to store surplus electricity in dozens of shipping containers on land outside of Terang has been unveiled.
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ACEngery wants to build a battery storage system using 78 shipping containers on 1.4 hectares next to the Littles Lane Terang Terminal Station.
Proposals for south-west energy storage abounded on Thursday as the state opposition also called for a battery planned for Geelong to instead be in Mortlake.
Corangamite Shire Council says the proposal in Terang would see lithium ion phosphate batteries housed in the shipping containers storing up to 100 megawatt of surplus electricity to dispatch at times of high demand or grid instability.
Council chief executive officer Andrew Mason said the project was a significant investment that would create jobs and improve electricity grid stability and reliability for the region.
"This is a major project for Terang and the economic benefits come at a really significant time," Mr Mason said.
The council is seeking community feedback to inform whether Planning Minister Richard Wynne should make a final decision on the plan, rather than the proposal go through the council's usual planning process.
"It is important ACEnergy informs, involves and seeks feedback from the local community before council can give any type of in-principle support to the project," Mr Mason said.
Mayor Neil Trotter said the proposal "came out of the blue" some months ago and the council could be "fairly supportive" of the idea but wanted to know the community's view.
"Visual amenity might be one issue, but in the location it is that might not be a big issue," Cr Trotter said.
Meanwhile, state opposition energy spokesman Ryan Smith and Polwarth MP Richard Riordan visited Mortlake on Thursday to push the state government to re-consider French company Neoen's proposal for a 600MW battery in Geelong.
Mr Smith said that battery would be better suited for Mortlake because it was the "the centre of the renewable energy push" and could service the region's wind farms and Origin's gas-fired power station.
"The idea of having the battery removed from this area doesn't make a lot of sense," he said.
Mr Smith said he was unaware of the Terang battery proposal while visiting Mortlake, but believed both projects could co-exist.
"The more batteries the better I think," he said.
"We have a variability with the capacity to generate at the moment with the renewable energy generators and we want to smooth out the ability to transmit."
Mr Riordan said the proposal would create activity and bring workers to the area.
"Wind farms are a fairly divisive issue in the region, so one of the paybacks to the community is that there's a benefit, whether it's in some jobs and as time goes on maintenance, That's the return for Mortlake," he said.
Residents can view plans for the Terang proposal and talk to ACEnergy representatives and council officers at an information stall outside Terang IGA between 3pm and 6pm on June 18 and June 19 between 9am and noon.
Plans and feedback forms are available online at www.corangamite.vic.gov.au/Terangbatteryproject
Submissions close 9 am on June 22.
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