Flow Power goes bigger on firmed solar, with purchase of shovel ready PV and battery project

Renewable energy gentailer Flow Power has added a new mid-sized solar and battery hybrid to its portfolio of assets, with the purchase of the shovel-ready Dunedoo Energy Project in regional NSW.

Flow said on Monday that it had bought the 55 megawatt (MW) solar farm and 60 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) from its original developer, ib Vogt, complete with state development approvals and State Significant Development (SSD) status.

The project is proposed for around 2 kilometres north of the Warrumbungle Shire town of Dunedoo, which sits inside the NSW Central West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ).

Flow says it will develop, build, own and operate the solar and battery facility, with construction scheduled to start later this year. The approved design includes connection to Essential Energy’s Dunedoo Substation via a new 66 kV transmission line, supported by planned substation upgrades.

“Adding the Dunedoo Energy Project to our growing, renewable energy portfolio is an exciting milestone for Flow Power,” said the company’s head of project development, Mark Raymond, on Monday.

“We look forward to constructing and operating the Project in partnership with the local community,” Raymond said.

Flow says it will engage with local residents, landholders, community groups and stakeholders throughout construction and delivery to provide updates and receive feedback.

According to project documents on the NSW planning portal, the Dunedoo Energy Project attracted just three submissions from members of the public, two in support and one in opposition.

Melbourne-based Flow Power has been a pioneer, in Australia, of coordinating cheap renewable power supply deals – initially for business and industry, but more recently for households, too – starting back in 2017 with a “first-of-its-kind” PPA with Ararat wind farm in Victoria.

In 2021, Flow graduated from power purhase agreements to developing some of its own projects, starting with a couple of sub-5 MW solar projects in South Australia.

In 2023, Flow switched on its first DC-coupled solar and battery hybrid, the 5.8 MW / 6.7 MWHh Berri Energy Project features northeast of Adelaide. And in December of last year, Flow reached financial close on its first “battery only” project – and its largest project of any sort, to date – the 100 MW/223 MWh Bennett’s Creek Battery in Victoria’s Latrobe Valley.

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