Two additional renewable energy generation projects and 3 long-duration storage projects have been successful in the latest tender round of the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, cementing the state’s position at the leading edge of investment in the national energy transition.
In the third tender delivered independently by AEMO Services, one solar project, 1 wind project, 2 lithium-ion battery energy storage system projects and 1 advanced-compressed air energy storage system have been awarded Long-Term Energy Service Agreements.
The projects will be built in Twelve Mile, Culcairn, Broken Hill, Merriwa and Myrtle Creek.
Each of the 3 storage projects have a continuous discharge capacity of at least 8 hours and collectively could power the Sydney Cricket Ground lights for around 130 days.
The successful projects represent $4.2 billion in private sector investment in the state’s renewable energy infrastructure, building upon the $4.3 billion in private sector investment committed in AEMO Services’ 2 previous tenders.
The 5 projects are expected to be operational from 2028 and will contribute to broader community and economic benefits, including support for an estimated 1000 jobs over the project lifetimes, $2 billion in local supply chain benefits, $40 million towards First Nations initiatives and enough generation to power 360,000 NSW homes per year.
Following the outcome of this third tender, NSW has now locked in 5.79 GW – almost half – of its legislated 12 GW renewable target for generation. It confirms 574 MW of the legislated 2 GW target for long-duration storage.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy Penny Sharpe said:
“The Roadmap tenders are accelerating the transition to renewables, ensuring households and businesses have reliable access to clean and affordable electricity into the future, while providing jobs and other benefits in regional communities.
“NSW is now almost halfway there on our 2030 renewable generation target, and over a quarter of the way there on our long-duration storage target.”
Tender Round 3 successful projects
| Project name | Proponent | Technology | Capacity | REZ / Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uungula Wind Farm | Squadron Energy | Wind | 400 MW | CWO REZ Twelve Mile |
| Culcairn Solar Farm | Neoen Australia Pty Ltd | Solar | 350 MW | Culcairn |
| Silver City Energy Storage | A-CAES NSW Pty Ltd | Advanced-compressed air energy storage system (A-CAES) | 2001,600 MWh8-hour storageMW | Broken Hill |
| Goulburn River BESS | Lightsource Development Services Australia | Lithium-ion BESS as part of a hybrid project | 49 MW392 MWh8-hour storage | Merriwa |
| Richmond Valley BESS | Ark Energy Projects | Lithium-ion BESS | 275 MW2,200 MWh | Myrtle Creek |