Huge solar farm and battery project gets tick from planning commission despite objections

One of the biggest solar and battery storage projects in NSW, located sotuh-east of Dunedoo in the state’s central west – has been given the all-clear by the state’s Independent Planning Commission, although it still needs a green tick from the federal government.

The Birriwa solar farm, being developed by Acen Australia, will comprise a 600 megawatt (MW) solar farm and a 600 MW, 1,200 MWh battery energy storage system. Last week it joined the queue for approval from the federal government under the EPBC Act.

The project was approved earlier this year by the state’s planning department, but because it attracted more than 80 written objections from neighbours – and others who lived more than 100 kms away – it was automatically referred to the IPC.

The objections began with the local Warrumbungle share council, but its concerns about housing construction works was addressed by Acen’s decision to build a camp at the site. Other objections were based on land use, and visual amenity, and the use of surround roads.

The Birriwa project is being built on mostly cleared land currently used for grazing and some cropping, and Acen says grazing activities will continue once the project is complete, as it has done at the New England solar farm, which is the biggest in the country.

The IPC – which conducted a tour of the site, hosted hearings and received 65 written submissions from the community, granted consent to the project, subject to conditions including road restrictions, the preparation of soil and water management plans, and vegetation for visual screening.

Acen, which is also building the 420 MW Stubbo solar project near Mudgee to the south, is one of the biggest renewable and storage developers in the country.

It plans to add a battery to that Stubbo project and is also considering adding battery back-up at its Naragamba, Deeargee and Axedale solar projects.

Last month it added another solar-battery project into the NSW planning pipeline, in this case a 100 megawatt (MW) solar facility and an 80 MW battery to be built near Cooma at the gateway to the Snowy Mountains. It is also seeking to develop the contested Robbins Island Jim Plains wind projects in Tasmania.