Neoen proposes Australia’s biggest battery next to gigawatt-scale forest wind project

Renewable energy and storage developer Neoen is proposing to build 3,200 megawatt hours of battery storage next to a 1.2 gigawatt wind farm, in what would be the largest development of its type in Australia.

The Bondo wind project is one of four being considered in different pine plantation forests controlled by the state-government owned Forestry Corp, part of a plan to unlock areas of strong wind resources that will presumably affect fewer landowners, and impact less native vegetation.

Neoen – which is now owned by global asset management giant Brookfield – has submitted a scoping report that for the first time outlines the scale of the project being considered for the Bondo forest west of Canberra, and adjacent to the Snowy Mountain region.

It would comprise up to 149 turbines, each of around 8 MW in capacity and a total of 1.2 GW, making it one of the biggest in the country.

But the unique aspect of these turbines will be their height – the tips of the 100 metre turbine blades will need to be no closer than 80 metres to the ground, which means the hub and tower heights need to be around 200 metres high, and the top tip height of the blades around 300 metres, all subject to final design and approvals.

The battery storage system would be sized at a total of 3,200 MWh, making it bigger than the 2,240 MWh Collie battery that Neoen is now building in Western Australia, and the 2,800 MWh Eraring battery that will then assume the mantle of biggest battery in the country, at least for a while.

Neoen, however, proposes to split the Bondo battery into two separate components, each of 400 MW and 1600 MWh, that could connect into two different 330 kV transmission lines that already pass through the area. Another option is the new 500 kV Humelink transmission line that is also mapped out for the area.

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.

Neoen says that about 110 non-associated residences which have potential visibility of the Bondo project have been identified. It has not yet discussed compensation, but both the Sunny Corner and The Pines project have proposed some form of near neighbour payments.

The Bondo project, like the other state forest proposals, is still in its early stages.

Neoen says there may be further changes to the layout. It has already reduced its proposed turbine numbers from 230 to 149, and eliminated turbines that conflicted with native vegetation, areas of Aboriginal cultural significance, and ensured a minimum 2.1 km setback from residences and 40m setback from waterways.

Neoen plans to submit an environmental impact statement in 2026, and hopes to begin construction in 2028 or 2029, subject to relevant approvals and project financing, procurement and contracting.

It says construction is expected to take approximately 4 to 6 years and – like its other major projects at Hornsdale, Western Downs, Goyder South and Goyder North, will be built in stages.

See also Renew Economy’s Big Battery Map of Australia.

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