Huge wind, solar and battery storage hub unveiled for western Victoria

The UK-based RES, the world’s biggest independent renewable energy developer, has unveiled plans for a massive wind, solar and battery storage facility near Stawell in western Victoria.

The plans for the Watta Wella renewable energy hub – which are still very much in their early stages -include a 315MW wind farm, a 62.5MW solar farm and a 400MW/1200MWh big battery.

Both the solar farm and the big battery would be located close to the Bulgana sub-station, and the three hour battery would provide grid services and support more renewable energy capacity in a region that is bursting with wind and solar projects in the pipeline.

RES says in its documents that the site has been chosen for its good wind and solar resources and because of the expected upgrade to the Bulgana substation as part of the western Victoria Transmission  Network Project, which will boost grid capacity in the region.

That grid upgrade is expected to be delivered by late 2024, so the Watta Wella project is unlikely to start construction until early 2025.

It will be located immediately north of Neoen’s Bulgana Green Energy Hub which includes a 194MW wind farm and a 20MW/34MWh Tesla battery.

The wind and solar farms will spread out across 5,200 hectares of farm land covering 15 freehold properties predominately used for cropping and sheep grazing, about 12kms east of Stawell.

Most of the land will form part of the wind farm project, which would feature the biggest turbines yet to be proposed in Australia, with RES suggesting the 315MW capacity would be met with 45 turbines sized at 7.5MW each. They would be 255 metres high (top of blades).

Approximately 170 hectares will make up the solar farm and approximately 10.5 hectares will be reserved for the battery energy storage facility.