Huge gigawatt scale solar and big battery project seeks approval in gas heartland

Plans to build a nearly 1GW solar farm and big battery in Queensland’s Southern Downs region are in the hands of the Toowoomba Regional Council, after a development application for the massive project was submitted last week.

The Punch’s Creek Renewable Energy project is proposed for construction by local solar farm developer Skylab Australia in the heart of the South West Queensland Renewable Energy Zone, south-west of Toowoomba.

Skylab, which also acts as distributor of solar tracking systems, says the solar and battery project likely would be built in two stages, resulting in up to 800MW of solar and a 250MW/250MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

The plan at this stage is for the first phase of construction to install 400MW of solar along with the BESS, with an ancillary office and substation. Stage 2 would add a further 400MW of solar.

According to planning documents, the solar farm would span across eight freehold land parcels with 30-year plus lease options already secured. Skylab also claims the project has already gained “significant support” from the local community.

“With recent decisions to phase out coal generation plants, this project is in the optimum location to replace ~900MW of adjacent generation,” the company says on its website.

This adjacent generation refers to the 825MW Millmerran Power Station, a relatively new (2002) supercritical black coal plant owned by multinational outfit InterGen that is currently slated to remain in operation until 2051.

It is fed by the Commodore coal mine, operated by Downer EDI Mining, that is located roughly 8km west of the proposed solar farm site.

In its development documents, Skylab cites the solar farm’s proximity to the coal plant as “the primary reason the site is ideally suited to the development of a renewable energy development.

“The solar and energy storage facility will be able to maximise its access to the grid and its ability to export renewable energy into the power system,” the documents say.

“The BESS will store excess energy generated by the solar farm and support the grid by providing power … in peak periods of demand or when there is a lack of energy generation,” it adds.

“The solar and battery facility will represent a positive diversification of the local economy, in addition to the existing and predominant agricultural industries in the area.”

From CSG to REZ

Queensland’s Darling Downs region is a fossil fuel-rich area, where prime agricultural land houses highly sought after – and increasingly controversial – coal seam gas reserves. The region also hosts the Kogan Creek coal generation plant and the Darling Downs Gas Power Station.

More recently, however, the Downs is shaping up as a renewable energy powerhouse, with a state government designated REZ seeking to harness the region’s high quality wind and solar resources.

According to government documents, the region has close to 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of committed renewable energy projects in the pipeline, already, representing more than $3.8 billion of investment more than 2,000 jobs.

As part of the Queensland Energy and Job Plan, the Palazczuk government is targeting a further 11GW of renewable energy for the REZ.

Skylab says the Punch’s Creek project would create of up to 450 jobs during the construction phase, up to 10 permanent jobs during the operational phase, and deliver indirect benefits to local businesses, contractors and suppliers.

“The proposed development area represents an ideal location as it is already cleared and modified due to preparation and use of the site for cropping and grazing purposes, and the Powerlink (transmission line) traverses directly through the site,” the development application says.

The documents also note that the panels will be mounted on single-axis trackers to maximise energy generation and allow for the possibility of using the site for sheep grazing among the panels.

According to the Toowoomba Chronicle, Skylab managing director Cameron Meekin says the project has already secured an equity partner, with the goal of turning the first sod by the middle of next year.

SkyLab’s other projects include the 100MW Gunsynd Solar Farm that is reportedly nearing completion near Goondiwindi in south-west Queensland. The project, which gained grid access approval late last year, will also include a 20MW battery.

The company is further proposing to build 400MW/480MW solar farm site with 100MWh battery storage and hydrogen production capacity near Townsville in the now hotly contested North Queensland Renewable Energy Zone.