French nuclear giant adds another Queensland wind and battery project to federal EPBC queue

A proposed wind farm and battery energy storage system (BESS) project under development by the local arm of French multinational electric utility EDF has been added to the queue for federal environmental assessment.

EDF Renewables Australia says the Dawson wind project would combine 75 wind turbines and a nameplate capacity of up to 600 megawatts (MW), paired with 500 MW and 1,000 MWh battery, and would be located around 20 kilometres south-east of the township of Banana, in central Queensland.

The Dawson project is theoretically the second phase of the Banana Range wind project, which secured development approval in 2019 before it was then acquired by EDF in 2021.

Currently, the Banana Range wind project is set to consist of up to 41 wind turbines and a nameplate capacity of up to 230 MW, with construction predicted to start next year.

The project will also need to eventually proceed through Queensland’s strict new planning process for wind projects, which require a social impact assessment, extensive public consultation, a community benefit scheme agreed with councils, before lodging a development application.

The planning process also allows opponents to fight wind projects through the courts. 

According to the EPCB Referral, the Dawson project will consist of up to 75 wind turbines, measuring between 6 MW to 8 MW, a maximum tip height of around 260 metres, and blade lengths of approximately 70 metres.

The co-located 500 MW/1,000 MWh BESS will be housed in outdoor containers within a compound of up to 4 hectares.

EDF is proposing Dawson is connected to the grid through a new 275kV transmission line that is expected to traverse the Dawson project area from the Mount Benn substation in the north to RWE’s proposed 1 gigawatt Theodore wind project located to the south.

An estimated start date of November 2027 has been listed for the Dawson project.

Want the latest clean energy news delivered straight to your inbox? Join more than 26,000 others and subscribe to our free daily newsletter.