The South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) is charging ahead, with EnergyCo granting four wind, solar and battery projects the right to connect new powerlines.
The New South Wales Government said these landmark projects will help keep the lights on in the state and deliver long-term benefits for local workers, communities and electricity consumers.
EnergyCo has granted access rights to wind, solar and large-scale battery projects with a combined generation capacity of 3.56GW – enough to power more than 1.6 million homes a year.
This follows a competitive access rights tender process by AEMO Services Limited, and the State Government said that the strong level of interest and competition between developers is a testament to the high quality of the renewable energy resources in the South West REZ.
According to the State Government, the grant of access rights provides more certainty to communities in the south-west of New South Wales about the renewable energy projects that will be developed in the region over coming years. The access fees paid by these projects will fund community benefits programs that will deliver legacy benefits informed by community priorities.
The projects are:
- Origin Energy’s Yanco Delta wind farm – max capacity 1.46GW
- Spark Renewables’ Dinawan Energy Hub – max capacity 1GW
- Someva’s Pottinger Energy Park – max capacity 832.1MW
- BayWA’s Bullawah Wind Farm – max capacity 262.3MW
The projects include more than 700MW of battery storage, capable of powering up to 300,000 households during peak demand.
The New South Wales Government said that the granting of access rights is a key milestone in its plan to unlock reliable renewable energy for homes and businesses, and put downward pressure on prices.
It also said that the South West REZ projects will play a critical role in ensuring reliable, more affordable and clean energy as the state’s existing power stations retire.
The REZ is expected to create more than 2800 jobs at the height of construction. This includes opportunities for around 265 apprentices, reflecting a strong commitment to skills development and training.
New South Wales Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Penny Sharpe, said the South West REZ is expected to drive more than $17 billion in private investment in solar, wind and energy storage projects, and this landmark tender shows the high interest in investing in New South Wales.
“These projects will help ensure New South Wales has enough renewable energy generation and storage when coal-fired power stations retire. They also give certainty to host-communities, who will directly benefit from the fees paid by these companies to connect to the REZ,” Ms Sharpe said.
EnergyCo Chief Executive, Hannah McCaughey, said there was strong interest from industry in the South West REZ access rights tender.
“The access scheme will also ensure we make the best use of new power lines, to put downward pressure on energy bills for everyone in New South Wales,” Ms McCaughey said.
“The first projects are expected to come online from 2027 to 2030, which will help keep the lights on and secure our energy future.”
Origin CEO, Frank Calabria, said securing transmission access rights represents another major step in Origin’s commitment to add 4–5GW of renewables and storage to its portfolio, alongside around $1.7 billion being invested in large scale battery storage projects currently under construction.
“As a result, Origin is well on the way to transitioning our portfolio towards cleaner forms of energy supply, firmed by batteries, pumped hydro and the nation’s leading gas peaking fleet to underpin reliable supply to customers under all scenarios.
“We look forward to continuing to work closely with our host landowners and local stakeholders to develop and construct Yanco Delta Wind Farm in a way that minimises impacts and ensures the region gets to share in the benefits that will flow from a project of this scale.”
Someva Renewables Managing Director, Jamie Chivers, said the announcement marks an important step forward for the Pottinger Energy Park, which is expected to provide a major boost to the Riverina’s economy and make a lasting contribution to the state’s renewable energy ambitions.
“We’re proud to be working with our joint venture partner AGL to ensure this project delivers direct benefits to local landholders, to local businesses and the entire Riverina region, while playing an important role in New South Wales’ energy transition,” Mr Chivers said.
“We’re also proud to be working closely with local landholders, Hay Shire Council, Edward River Council, First Nations groups, community groups and the local community to deliver this critical project.”
AGL General Manager, Power Development, Travis Hughes said the Pottinger Energy Park forms part of AGL’s ambition to add 12GW of new renewable generation and firming by the end of 2035.
“Following our engagement with the local community, including First Nations Groups, the project has strong support and is set to deliver a major boost to the Riverina economy.”
