Massive pine plantation wind project, with giant battery, seeks to thread needle of federal environment approval

The French-based Neoen, arguably Australia’s most successful renewable energy and storage developer, has unveiled detailed plans for a massive wind project in a state pine plantation that would also include one of the country’s biggest every batteries.

Neoen has filed its application for a federal green tick of Bondo wind project, which – as foreshadowed last year – could involve up to 1.2 gigawatts of capacity, although now from up to 167 wind turbines (instead of 147) as well as two battery storage installations, each rated at 400 MW and 1,600 MWh.

The combined capacity of 1.2 GW of wind, and 800 MW and 3,200 MWh of battery storage would rate the project as one of the biggest of its type in Australia, and it is one of at least four major projects seeking to leverage off the vast acreages of the state’s pine forest plantations.

Bondo is located in southern NSW, largely in the forest of the same name about 50 kms west of Canberra and adjacent to the Snowy Mountains region.

An application for state planning approval was filed last year, and Neoen says it is continuing discussions with the local community about the final layout and compensation packages for near neighbours and others in the local area.

Neoen, now owned by global funds management giant Brookfield, says in its application filed under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) that most of the land is disturbed or degraded, or otherwise focused on the state pine plantations, but it does identify a potential issue with the migratory White-throated Needletail.

It says this migratory bird is vulnerable to wind farms because they migrate long distances and often fly at altitudes within the rotor swept area, but says it is still conducting studies to identify the potential impact.

The Bondo wind farm is one of four proposed for softwood pine plantations owned by Forestry Corp, allowed after NSW state parliament changed the law to allow renewable energy projects in softwood plantation in 2021.

The others being pursued are located in the central west, including the 500 MW Sunny Corner wind project, proposed by Mainstream Renewables and Someva Renewables between Lithgow and Bathurst, a 2 GW project called The Pines by Stromlo Energy and TagEnergy, and Iberdrola’s Canobolas project south of Orange.

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