Plans for Australia’s biggest wind farm scaled back, with solar and big battery added to create huge hybrid

Plans to build the biggest wind farm on Australia’s main grid have been pared back and hybridised, to add a huge solar farm and a four-hour battery energy storage system next to a major new transmission line in Queensland’s north.

Renewable Energy Partners (REP) this week officially launched the website for the proposed Bogunda Energy Hub, nearly two years after unveiling early-stage plans to develop up to 5 gigawatts of wind south-east of Hughenden.

Those plans have now morphed into a hybrid renewables hub combining up to 850 megawatts (MW) of wind, 500 MW of solar and a 500 megawatt (MW), four-hour battery next to the huge CopperString transmission project that will connect Queensland’s North West Minerals Province to the main grid.

REP says the project – which retains the name meaning “big wind” in the local Yirandhali language – is currently in the early stages of development, with ecological surveys and grid connection options studies “set to begin shortly.”

“The site is ideally located adjacent to Powerlink’s CopperString project which is set to be complete by 2032 (subject to approvals) and will connect North West Queensland to the National Electricity Market (NEM),” the website says.

REP says that once the 136 wind turbines, more than 714,000 solar panels, and battery energy storage system (BESS) are installed, the project is expected to generate enough electricity to power more than 500,000 Queensland households.

“We are committed to forming genuine relationships with local residents, landholders, First Nations peoples, and the wider Hughenden and Flinders Shire community,” the website says.

“As development progresses, there will be regular opportunities for community members to learn more about the project, ask questions, and share feedback.

“A Community Benefit Fund will also be established to support local groups, not-for-profits, sporting clubs and schools. This initiative will continue throughout development, construction and operations, and is intended to provide lasting benefits that reflect the priorities of the people who live and work in the region.”

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