Wind developer has another crack at Queensland grid despite shock cancellation of approved project

Australian wind developer Greenleaf Renewables is having another crack at the Queensland market, despite the state LNP government’s shock cancellation a few months ago of the previously approved 450 megawatt MW) Moonlight Range project.

Greenleaf has now revealed plans for a $1 billion project, combining a 350 MW wind facility at Jib Creek, in the Darling Downs, and a big battery.

The developer says it’s in the process of doing wind and early environmental studies on the site, which is in the middle of four different state forests.

The changes to rules for renewable energy developers announced in Queensland in May means that in addition to figuring out whether the site is feasible, Greenleaf must also lock down a community benefits agreement ahead of lodging a planning application. 

The new rules expect developers to have “binding agreements” with local governments, setting out the social impacts and community benefits of projects proposed on their patch, before they can apply for development applications.

Two other projects that lodged their applications last year, well before the new rules were in place, have been under ministerial review partly because they don’t have these in place. 

Cubico Sustainable Investments Australia’s Marmadua and Middle Creek wind projects are subject to “call in” notices from planning minister Jarrod Bleijie, with the lack of binding agreements on the list of questions the developer must answer. 

Bleijie cancelled the planning approval for Greenleaf’s 450MW Moonlight Range wind project earlier this year on grounds, which industry called “highly political”, that it wasn’t acceptable to the community. 

The developer also has two other proposals in Queensland, as well as two in New South Wales. 

The next step for the Jib Creek project will be to start community meetings to start the process towards building a viable benefits agreement – that will be acceptable to the state government. 

The up to 60 turbine project lies on the existing Powerlink 330 kV transmission line, meaning it’s one of a number of renewables projects in the wider area.

The nearest are the massive RWE Renewables-owned Cattle Creek wind project to the north, a 1.144 gigawatt (GW) behemoth that will be supported by a 250 MW battery. That project has entered the federal environmental process but is yet to submit a state development application. 

Right next door to that is Samsung C&T’s 300 MW Dunmore solar farm and 150 MW, two hour battery, both of which have their state approvals in hand.

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