Biggest wind farm and two eight hour batteries slated for Australia’s most advanced renewable state

South Australia has a new contender for the biggest wind farm in the state, with plans for an up to 1.2 gigawatt (GW) project with two, eight-hour big batteries appearing in the federal government’s environmental assessment queue on Tuesday.

Australian developer Tilt Renewables is proposing to install up to 148 wind turbines on sheep grazing land roughly 10 km west of the steel city of Whyalla, as part of a project called the Nonowie wind farm.

The up to 1.2 GW wind project would pip the Goyder projects to be the biggest in what is by far Australia’s most renewable-powered state – at least in terms of wind and solar, which has averaged 72 per cent over the past 12 months. Tasmania usually produces more renewables, but mostly with hydro.

The Nonowie project also includes two battery energy storage systems (BESS), each with up to 300 megawatts of capacity and up to eight hours of storage duration. They would be the first eight-hour batteries in South Australia if they go ahead.

The proposed location of the project is strategically significant, being close to the industrial centre of Whyalla, which is home to one of only two Australian steelworks and – as the producer of 75% of Australian structural steel – holds huge potential for green steel manufacturing.

According to Tilt’s plans, the proposed site is “naturally bisected” into a north and south area by the Lincoln Highway, allowing the wind farm to be designed with staged development, with a substation and BESS located in each.

In its referral for assessment under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPCB) Act, Tilt says the proposed project area is “heavily constrained,” particularly concerning the placement of the 250 metre tall turbines.

Tilt says the constraints include allowances for electromagnetic interference (EMI) links, existing utilities, hydrology and aviation protected zones, which, along with construction and technical considerations, have directly informed the project’s design.

An established avoidance area includes land associated with an existing heritage agreement and significant environmental benefit, where no infrastructure or disturbance will occur.

Tilt says the land proposed to host the project – the traditional lands of the Barngarla People – has a post-European settlement history of agriculture and sheep and cattle grazing and is currently used for a combination of agricultural and pastoral activities.

Roughly 97% of the subregion is mapped as remnant native vegetation, of which 8% is formally conserved.

The referral says surveys of the shorebird area adjacent to the project area have identified 10 migratory/marine bird species protected under the EPBC Act, including the endangered Common Greenshank and the vulnerable Sharp-tailed Sandpiper.

The documents say the 90 metre-long wind turbine blades would be transported to the project site from either the Port of Whyalla or the Port of Adelaide, with minimal vegetation trimming and/or removal necessary along the delivery route.

Tilt says it estimates that – if approved – construction of Nonowie Wind Farm would begin in late 2029 and be completed late 2032 and have a commercial life of 30 years.

By that time, the state of South Australia will have already reached its target (2027) of 100 per cent net renewables, and may be chasing the title of green energy superpower in terms of supplying renewables for green steel and other zero emissions manufacturing projects.

See also: Final turbine installed at largest wind project in state edging closer to 100 pct net renewables