Huge solar and battery project proposed next to ageing Callide coal fired power station

Edify Energy, one of the Australia’s leading renewable energy and storage developers, has proposed a huge solar and battery project to be sited right next door to the newly rebuilt Callide coal fired power station in Queensland.

The proposed Callide solar farm would be sized at 200 MW, and would be accompanied by a four-hour battery sized at 200 MW and 800 MWh. It would be located around 7 kms north east of Biloela and next to the existing Callide power station so it can “maximise its access” to the grid.

The Callide coal fired power station made headlines in 2021 when the C4 unit exploded in an event that sent shockwaves through the grid and very nearly caused widespread blackouts through the state (some areas did lose power).

The discovery of problems with the cooling towers meant that both the C3 and C4 units had to be taken offline. The C3 unit has only just returned to service, but the C4 unit is yet to re-connect to the grid.

The incident prompted the state Labor government to decide on a “battery blitz” that has led to a dozen big battery projects to begin construction, with three already operating at Wandoan, Bouldercombe and Chinchilla.

Edify Energy’s decision to locate the solar farm and big battery at the site may well be driven by the impending final closures of the Callide units, and the free capacity that would become available.

The Callide B units, totalling 700 MW and fully owned by state generator CS Energy, are currently slated for closure in 2028, according to the market operator’s generator information page. Curiously, there is no closure date advised for the newly rebuilt and repaired Callide C units, which are jointly owned by CS Energy and IG Power and total 848 MW.

In an application for approval under the federal government’s EPBC Act, Edify says its solar and battery project will be located on land currently used for cropping, but it says it plans to run sheep on the site – initially 49 sheep as part of a trial, and then up to 1,000 sheep in the project area.

“Sheep grazing will also ensure ongoing agricultural sustainability of the Project Area,” it says. “Currently, the site is utilised for dryland cropping which results in bare ground and reduced soil health, leading to greater erosion and run-off.

“A pasture based farming activity (such as sheep grazing) can lead to long-term improvement in soil quality (less erosion, run-off and increase organic carbon) and therefore maintain ongoing agricultural viability of the site.

“Sheep grazing in particular is compatible with solar farms as the sheep do not damage solar infrastructure.”

It says the benefits include higher growth rates and fertility for the sheep, soil improvement created by shading effects of the panels to the ground below, and a reduction of fire risk through controlled grazing.

Edify Energy has been one of the most prominent developers of solar and storage projects in Australia, and its portfolio includes the first co-located solar farm and battery project at Gannawarra in Victoria.

It has more recently completed the neighbouring Riverina and Darlington battery projects in south west NSW that are contracted to Shell and EnergyAustralia respectively, and which are located close to the Darlington solar farm.