Oz designer reveals 950MW PV-plus-storage plan

• Maoneng claims the hub would certainly have a 550MW solar farm linked to a 400MW battery

Australian renewable energy firm Maoneng has actually introduced details of a proposed energy hub including a 550MW solar farm and also 400MW/1600 megawatt-hour battery energy storage system in the state of New South Wales.

When approved, construction of the solar farm as well as battery is anticipated to take 18 months, creating as much as 500 full time equivalent jobs during the optimal of activity, as well as needing as much as 20 permanent functional staff for the 35-year life of the project.

A development application offering information of the recommended energy hub south of Merriwa, in the Upper Hunter Shire Council area regarding 180km northwest of Newcastle, will certainly be lodged with NSW's Department of Planning, Industry as well as Environment as an initial step in the State Significant Development assessment process.

At this phase, completion of the project is anticipated in 2025, Maoneng claimed.

The proposed solar array area of 780 hectares would comprise around 1.3 million panels mounted on single-axis trackers, plus linked structures as well as framework.

It would additionally involve the building and construction of a brand-new substation directly linking to the National Electricity Market by means of TransGrid's existing 500kV transmission line that runs along the south of the site.

The land is currently made use of largely for grazing, and the effect on the bordering community, with whom assessments have actually begun, is expected to be greatly consisted of to building and construction activities and also traffic monitoring on neighborhood roadways.

Maoneng founder as well as chief executive Morris Zhou claimed the project represented a significant step forward for dispatchable solar generation in NSW, as well as a turning point in the company's evolution.

He claimed: "This project will certainly sustain the NSW Government's large-scale solar generation and battery storage methods as the state moves in the direction of increasing use of clean energy.

" We have intentionally picked the website based upon its robust link to the existing grid, making effective use of the framework that exists today.

" The Merriwa Energy Hub would certainly be among the biggest renewable energy hubs in the nation and also, while it's still very early days, we expect the building process to sustain hundreds of direct and also indirect jobs, in addition to significant investment right into communities experiencing a change away from fossil fuel.

" As an Australian business that develops both energy generation and also battery storage projects, we are dedicated to supporting the nationwide shift to renewable resource, and looking to a future with lots of new commercial opportunities for business companies."