New England big battery granted $12.5 million state federal government grant

• The 50 MWh battery will be colocated with phase 1 of the UPC/AC Renewables' 720 MW New England Solar Farm.

Prepare for a large solar as well as storage project nearby Uralla in the New England region of New South Wales have obtained a huge boost with the news of a $12.5 million State Government give. The financing supplied through the federal government's Emerging Energy Program will certainly be made use of to sustain the building of a 50 MWh battery that will be collocated with stage 1 of the UPC/AC Renewables' 720 MW New England Solar Farm.

The battery storage space system will certainly be developed along with the 400 MW stage 1 solar farm. Building on the battery is anticipated to begin early following year as well as will take around 12 months. Throughout peak construction, 40 tasks will be produced with three ongoing duties as soon as commissioned. The project information as well as funding announcement came from Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall on Thursday.

" This is another substantial successful stroke for our region and showing the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) is already providing advancement, facilities and market at a quick fire price," Marshall said.

The $768 million New England Solar Farm will certainly be constructed across 2 solar areas 6 kilometers eastern of Uralla in one of the three REZs proposed by the state government. With more than 2.4 million solar panels, 150 power conversion units, and also a lithium-ion battery storage space center, the project will connect to TransGrid's existing 330 kV transmission line that transects the growth website.

Based on the 720 MW target capacity of both stages, the solar ranch will certainly create around 1,800 GWh of electrical energy every year-- adequate to power greater than 250,000 NSW homes. The solar ranch project will be built in stages over 36 months. It is expected to create as much as 700 permanent tasks throughout building and construction, provide benefit regional services and also providers and also diversify income for country landowners.

" When this project is finished, we will happily hold the mantle as the resources of renewables for NSW and also, perhaps in the not also long run, every one of Australia," Marshall stated. "It's amazing to think in simply 2 months considering that the REZ was announced, our body politic has actually seen $22 million invested by the State Government in flagship renewable energy projects, assisting to produce 84 construction and also functional tasks as well as grow the regional economy."

As previously introduced by UPC/AC Renewables Australia, the New England huge battery will certainly be constructed in phases, starting with 50 MWh up to an optimum dimension of 400 MWh. The system will certainly can sending off power to the grid at times of high power need.

" Should the cost of batteries remain to fall as well as the demand for firming power enhance the business likewise has planning approval to broaden the battery capacity up to 400 MWh, developing up to 200 jobs at peak building," UPC/AC Renewables Head of Solar Development Killian Wentrup claimed on Thursday.

Labeled as a State Significant Development, the project was authorized with problems by the NSW Independent Planning Commission in March after greater than 2 years of thorough planning, analysis, as well as neighborhood involvement. In June, the project got rid of another obstacle with a grid connection contract secured with Transgrid, which will permit the 720 MW solar farm to connect and supply power into the NSW electricity grid, and be sold the National Electricity Market. Other work with the project seem charging ahead.

" Design work on the transmission substation to be created as part of the authorized advancement will certainly start soon, allowing the project to connect to the existing 330kV line that goes across the solar ranch site," Wentrup stated. "Work is likewise underway on the style of the access road upgrades, with the upgrades being needed before beginning of building and construction of the solar ranch."

The developer is also proposing to sustain neighborhood projects by giving financing of $250 for every single megawatt (Air Conditioning) of power creating ability set up at the New England Solar Farm, or $180,000 a year over the 25-year working life of the solar farm, presuming complete capability of the facility is running.