Renewable energy developer Acen Australia has received consent from the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) for a 640MWh wind-plus-storage project in Australia.
The Valley of the Winds project comprises 943MW of wind generation coupled with a 320MW/640MWh co-located 2-hour duration battery energy storage system (BESS).
Valley of the Winds will be located approximately 4km south of Coolah in Warrumbungle Shire, a rural town in New South Wales. It is one of several towns claiming the home of the ‘Black Stump’, an Australian expression signifying the start of country “beyond the limits of civilisation”.
It is set to be developed in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which recently saw 7.15GW of renewable energy projects granted access rights by state-owned Energy Corporation of New South Wales (EnergyCo). One of these projects was Acen Australia’s Valley of the Winds site.
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In total, 10 projects were granted access rights. These are expected to be delivered by 2031 and have an average operational lifespan of 30 years.
The wind generation site will consist of 131 wind turbines, each with a maximum tip height of 250 metres. It will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via the proposed Central-West Orana REZ transmission line.
The BESS is expected to be central on the site, with a minimum separation from the closest turbine of at least 236 metres.
Acen Australia’s application to the IPC stated that the proposal will require a capital investment of around AU$1.68 billion (US$1.09 billion) and take roughly 42 months to complete.
The project is classified as a State significant development (SSD) under section 4.36 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 (EP&A Act). It was submitted to the IPC after receiving more than 50 ‘unique’ public objections.
From 23 May 2022 until 20 June 2022, the project received 105 unique submissions, 94 of which were objections, six in support, and five comments on the project. Warrumbungle Shire Council and the Mid-Western Regional Council also objected to the project.
Acen Australia said the primary reasons for objections from the community included impacts on amenities, biodiversity, transport, and cumulative effects.
Acen Australia bags AU$750 million to spur portfolio growth
Earlier this year, Acen Australia secured AU$750 million in debt financing to support the rollout of its 13GW renewables and energy storage portfolio in the country.
Acen Australia managing director David Pollington hailed the financing at the time, stating that it would create a “robust funding base for the company’s diverse portfolio of wind, solar, pumped hydro and BESS projects.
Additionally, the financing will support the ‘near-complete’ 400MW Stubbo Solar project and the 720MW New England solar PV power plant in New South Wales.
The New England plant, which is divided into two stages, saw its first stage operational in March 2023.
