Solar farm, huge battery and up to 1,000 sheep get federal green tick for next to coal plant

Plans to build a huge solar and battery project next door to Queensland’s troubled Callide coal fired power station have been waved through the federal environmental approvals process, clearing the way for development.

The Callide solar farm is proposed at 200 MW, accompanied by a four-hour battery sized at 200 MW and 800 MWh. It would be located around 7 km north east of Biloela and next to the existing Callide coal plant so it can “maximise its access” to the grid.

The project, which also intends to graze as many as 1,000 sheep in among the solar panels, is being developed by Edify Energy and has already secured approval from the Banana Shire Council.

In an update posted earlier this week, the federal environment department advised that the Callide Solar Power Station Project did not need to be referred for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, essentially waving it through to development.

As RenewEconomy has reported, Edify Energy’s proposal to locate the solar farm and big battery at the site of the Callide coal plant followed a serious incident at the state-owned generator in 2021, when a unit exploded cutting power to half a million customers and very nearly causing widespread blackouts through the state.

The incident, which led to the discovery of problems with the plant’s cooling towers and the long-term closure of two of its generating units, also prompted the Queensland government to embark on a “battery blitz that has led to a dozen major projects to begin construction.

In its application to the EPBC, Edify says the solar and battery location next to the coal plant – part of which is slated for retirement in 2028 – will maximise their ability to export renewable energy into the power system inland from Gladstone. 

“The proposed BESS component will store excess energy generated by the solar farm and support the grid by providing power to the grid in peak periods of demand or when there is a lack of energy generation,” the application says.

Edify says the solar farm would initially host up to 49 sheep, but that number would gradually increase to up to 1,000 if co-location proves successful.

“Co-location of sheep grazing on site will maintain an ongoing agricultural use of the site and support greater socio-economic outcomes for the region,” the document says. 

“Sheep grazing will also ensure ongoing agricultural sustainability of the project area. Currently, the site is utilised for dryland cropping which results in bare ground and reduced soil health, leading to greater erosion and run-off.

“A pasture based farming activity (such as sheep grazing) can lead to long-term improvement in soil quality (less erosion, run-off and increase organic carbon) and therefore maintain ongoing agricultural viability of the site.”

Edify Energy has been one of the most prominent developers of solar and storage projects in Australia, and its portfolio includes the first co-located solar farm and battery project at Gannawarra in Victoria.

It has more recently completed the neighbouring Riverina and Darlington battery projects in south west NSW that are contracted to Shell and EnergyAustralia respectively, and which are located close to the Darlington solar farm.