Irish renewable developer advances plans for massive wind and battery project in NSW

Ireland-based renewable energy developer DP Energy says it has the OK to take the next important steps in gaining approval for its 700MW Euston wind farm and battery project proposed in the south west of New South Wales.

DP Energy Australia says it has recently secured the necessary Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, and will now begin work on its  Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).

“The receipt of the SEARs marks a key milestone in the Euston Wind Farm project,” said Hugh Cantwell, DP Energy Australia’s head of projects.

“We are excited to be moving forward with this quality project which aligns well with the New South Wales Government’s goals to transform the electricity system into one that is affordable, clean, and reliable.”

NSW has a renewable infrastructure roadmap that seeks to build more than 12GW of new renewable capacity and storage to replace the state’s four remaining ageing coal generators, likely within a decade.

However, its plans have been held up by delays in transmission projects, and particularly in the planning approval process, with just one wind farm receiving planning approval in the last four years.

The Euston project in the Balranald region and is located within the South-West Renewable Energy Zone (SW-REZ), one of five REZs that are being created by the state government.

The project will consist of one hundred 7 MW wind turbines – which would be the largest in the country if built now – and will also have a co-located battery, although the size of that has not yet been decided.

DP Energy was the original developer behind the 320 MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Hub, the largest wind and solar hybrid project in Australia, which is now owned by Iberdrola, and the proposed 420 MW Callide wind farm.

It has also expressed an interest in developing up to five offshore wind projects in the country, each sized at between 1 and 2 GW.