Approval sought for another huge wind and battery hybrid as state prepares to move beyond coal

Plans for a massive wind farm with just under 100 turbines and an up to eight-hour big battery have been lodged with a regional West Australia council, adding another major wind and battery hybrid to the list of projects seeking approval as part of the state’s plans to move beyond coal.

Locally-based developer Lacour Energy last week submitted plans with the Shire of West Arthur for the West Arthur wind farm, an up to 92 turbine and 500 megawatt (MW) project with an up to 500 MW/ 2,000 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS).

The project is one of 12 that were recently added to the federal government’s National Renewable Energy Priority List, which supports ‘faster to yes, faster to no’ approach to environmental decisions on projects considered important to Australia’s renewable energy targets.

According to planning documents, Lacour is looking at turbines sized between 6 MW and 8 MW, which means that if it secures permission to install all 92 turbines, that would create a project sized between 552 MW and 736 MW.

Lacour is asking for permission to install turbines with a maximum hub height of 164 metres and a maximum tip height of 253 metres. 

The plan is to connect into the eastern section of the new Clean Energy Link transmission line, set to be finished in 2029, and Lacour is hoping to have first power from West Arthur in 2030, after starting construction in 2027. 

Western Power’s proposed Clean Energy Link is designed to link the West Arthur shire with the old coal power town of Collie, opening up the whole area around the town of Darkan to five different wind projects.

Also in the area are Green Wind Renewables’s 600 MW Ambrosia project, Acciona Energía’s massive 3 gigawatt (GW)  Bellwether proposal, RES Australia’s 1.2 GW Dardadine project, and Vestas’ 150 MW Bowelling project.

These are all very early stage projects, but destined to replace the 340 MW Collie Power Station when it’s turned off next year and the 454 MW Muja D Power Station which is scheduled to close in 2029.

Proposed route for Clean Energy Link. Image: Western Power

The planning documents say the project’s proposed battery will be housed on up to 26 hectares next to the project’s substation, which will feed electricity from both the wind and storage into the grid via a 330 kilovolt (kV) line. 

Other WA wind hybrids include the newly announced Cooljarloo energy park located at the site of an existing mineral sands mine, as well as the recently approved Tathra project, Lightsource bp’s Narrogin East which is also in the wheatbelt, and the Kojonup project which also happens to be the only one of these three which doesn’t come with solar.

West Arthur proposed location. Image: Lacour Energy

The total land area for the project is set to be almost 11,000 hectares, with the development work covering 566 hectares, according to planning documents. 

Lacour is yet to refer the project to the federal EPBC. It is, however, already paying out pre-construction grants and is setting aside a community benefit fund in line with the new state guidelines of $1,050 per MW of installed wind farm capacity.

It says this should deliver a total fund of $315,000 to $525,000 a year – if the smaller 300-500 MW wind farm is what eventuates.

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