Landowners invited to host gigawatts of solar and wind along 930km “clean energy corridor”

Landholders across Central Western Queensland are being invited to register their interest in hosting renewable energy projects as part of a major new “clean energy corridor” being developed in the state’s north along the path of a 930km high voltage transmission line proposed to link Hughenden to Biloela, via Barcaldine.

Seven regional Queensland councils joined forces late last year with the founders of the CopperString transmission project in a collaboration called the RAPAD Power Grid project.

The Rapad project proposes to build a “non-regulated” transmission line linking the Townsville to Mount Isa CopperString corridor at Hughenden through the central west and into the industrial and energy centre in Biloela, near Gladstone.

The line would be supported by commercial contracts with major network users, the proposal has said, and would have the potential to host 5.2GW of third party renewable energy projects, while “common-user battery storage” would also be integrated with the network.

To this end, the Central Western Queensland Regional Area Planning and Development (RAPAD) councils and CopperString’s founders, Queensland company VisIR, have this week put out the call to landholders and communities to submit expressions of interest to become involved with the project.

“This is a first step to start the conversation with the project team and to be a part of discussions into the future,” said Tony Rayner, RAPAD Board Chair and Longreach Regional Council Mayor.

“The project team are ready to talk with any landholders or members of the community that want more information or want to get involved in the renewable opportunities.”

Project representatives will be meeting in Barcaldine next week to discuss project plans, landholder expressions of interest, and arrangement for an upcoming mission to visit projects in Queensland and the United States.

The Expression of Interest (EOI) request says eligible landholders can register an interest in hosting development of renewable energy sources, including wind and solar, on their landholdings.

A separate process of direct engagement is being undertaken with First Nations Custodians, while engagement on related opportunities and on the establishment of the transmission line corridor – with an easement approximately 200 metres wide – are being led by RAPAD Power Grid MoU partners Barcaldine Regional Council, RAPAD and VisIR.

“As we’ve seen recently in other regions, the social licence for renewable energy projects has been a massive challenge, but it can be a valuable opportunity if done well,” said Rayner.

“We’re in a unique position with the RAPAD Power Grid project that is driven locally and focussed on working together to unlock the region’s renewable energy potential to deliver strong economic, social and environmental benefits to the central west, and all of Queensland.

“If Queensland is to achieve its renewable energy and emission reduction targets, and a develop major green industry, then western Queensland will need to play its part.  That’s what the RAPAD Power Grid aims to do.”