Huge 197-turbine wind farm and four-hour battery proposed to tap into new Copperstring link

Irish renewables developer DP Energy has unveiled plans to build a massive, nearly 200-turbine wind farm and four-hour big battery in North Queensland, alongside the 1,100km, CopperString transmission project being built by the state government.

The Windy Plains Renewable Energy Park (REP) proposes to combine around 1,400 megawatts (MW) of wind generation capacity with a 500 MW, 2,000 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system (BESS), roughly 40 km southeast of Julia Creek in the McKinlay Shire.

The newly launched project website says the 197 turbine project has recently completed the project feasibility stage and is now at the very beginning of the assessment, consultation and design phase, including detailed environmental, planning, and technical assessments.

Community and stakeholder consultation will also get underway, with “multiple opportunities” for public input, including through community open days and other engagement activities.

DP Energy has a number of projects in the pipeline in Australia, including the 70-turbine, 462 MW Callide wind farm that is will be developed in coal country in Central Queensland after winning Queensland government approval back at the end of 2023 and federal environmental approval in February.

The mother and son-owned company was also the original developer of the 320MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Hub, which is now owned by Iberdrola.

DP Energy says it selected the site for the Windy Plains project for its excellent wind resource and its location close to the new CopperString transmission line that will connect North Queensland to the state’s SuperGrid and unlock around 6 GW of renewables in the region.

That project is still going headed despite a blow out in total costs to around $14 billion, and the new state government’s antipathy to renewables in general. But it is located in a region that could unlock vast minerals resources and is supported by local conservative MPs, both state and federal.

Source: Windy Plains REP

“It’s an excellent location to harness North Queensland’s superb renewable resources and will provide significant support for the continued growth of the area,” said Hugh Cantwell, DP Energy Australia’s head of development.

DP Energy says it will host a community drop-in session at the Julia Creek Civic Centre next month, on August 13, to give local residents an opportunity to meet the project team, ask questions, and learn more about its potential benefits, timelines and next steps.

“We know how crucial it is to work closely with local communities, First Nations people, and the government from the outset,” Cantwell said on Friday.

“This early engagement will ensure the Windy Plains REP is designed with community input front and centre.”