Huge solar farm and eight hour battery project approved for upper Hunter

The New South Wales government has given planning approval for a 450MW solar farm in the state’s Upper Hunter Region that will be combined with an eight-hour battery, one of the largest of its type in the world.

The Goulburn River solar project is proposed by Lightsource BP, and will be built on agricultural land about 28kmns south of Merriwa in the upper Hunter.

The battery component was one of three eight-hour big battery projects that won underwriting agreements from the NSW government over the past year to help fill in the supply gaps as the state’s ageing coal fleet is retired over the next decade.

Its winning proposal for a Long Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) was for a 49 MW, 392 MWh battery facility at Goulburn River, although it is not clear if that will be the final size of the battery.

The company’s planning approval application envisages several different possibilities. The battery component was originally envisaged as a two hour battery with 570 MWh of storage, but the amended EIS envisages various options up to 2,000 MWh.

Two other eight-hour battery storage projects have won underwriting agreements from the NSW state government, including the smaller Limondale battery being built by RWE in the south of the state, and the 2,000 MWh Richmond Valley battery proposed by Ark Energy in the state’s north.

Lighsource bp says the $880 million project will eliminate around 733,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, and create 350 jobs in the construction period. Construction is planned to begin in late 2024 and the site is expected to be fully operational by early 2027.

Modifications were made to the original plans in response to community feedback, which will see Lightsource BP include additional road upgrade works and the construction of an onsite workers accommodation facility.

“Under our Government, we have a planning system that is supporting the renewable energy transition, approving projects that will support our communities, energy security and emissions reductions,” said Paul Scully, NSW minister for planning and public spaces.

“With 350 jobs generated during construction and operation, this project will benefit the local economy, local communities and provide indirect benefits to local services throughout the life of project.

“This project is one of many that is part of the state’s growing renewable energy infrastructure that plays a vital role in powering our economy for generations to come.”