Two Australian solar-plus-storage projects advanced last week, with Ark Energy securing a AU$1.3 billion (US$855 million) investment decision for its 2.2GWh Richmond Valley project in New South Wales and Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners submitting a 250MWp Queensland development for federal environmental assessment.
The FID for the Richmond Valley project was approved at an Extraordinary Board Meeting of Korea Zinc in Seoul on 21 July 2026. The financing package comprises AU$586 million in equity and AU$716 million in debt.
It covers the project’s priority stage: a 200MWac solar PV power plant co-located with a 275MW/2,200MWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery energy storage system (BESS), located approximately 25km south of Casino in New South Wales’ northern rivers region.
Financial close is targeted for September 2026, with construction expected to begin in October 2026 and operations targeted for January 2029. The project is the first build-to-own development in Ark Energy’s portfolio to reach FID.
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The milestone follows a development timeline that Ark Energy completed in four years.
New South Wales planning approval was granted in October 2025, federal environmental clearance under the EPBC Act followed in December 2025, and grid connection approval from AEMO and transmission network provider Transgrid was secured in June 2026.
Richmond Valley was also highlighted at the time as among the first hybrid solar-plus-storage projects in the National Electricity Market (NEM) to operate through a single point of connection using grid-forming inverter technology.
The full approved configuration extends to 435MW of solar and a 475MW/3,148MWh BESS.
The project holds a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap and is listed on the Australian government’s National Renewable Energy Priority List.
South Korean energy company Hanwha Energy is supplying the BESS, with Elecnor Australia engaged as early contractor for engineering and design.
Ark Energy CEO Michael Choi said the decision reflected strong backing from Korea Zinc.
“This approval represents a strong endorsement from Korea Zinc and confirms its continued commitment to supporting the Richmond Valley project and Ark Energy’s growth ambitions,” he said.
The project is expected to support more than 850 direct and indirect jobs during peak construction and generate approximately AU$180 million in local expenditure.
Quinbrook submits 250MWp Lansdown Solar West project to Australia’s EPBC Act
In other large-scale solar-plus-storage news from Australia, infrastructure investor Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners (QIP) has submitted a 150MW solar PV power plant in Queensland for assessment under Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The referral, to be developed by Brisbane-based renewable energy developer Private Energy Partners, covers the Lansdown Solar West project, which is approximately 4-6km south-west of Woodstock and 40km south of Townsville.
Construction is targeted to begin in January 2028, with operations planned through to 2060.
The project includes a solar array of up to 150MWac, a co-located BESS with a power output of 250MWp and an 8-hour storage duration, a 33/275kV substation, and a 30-metre wide transmission line connecting to Powerlink Queensland’s existing double circuit 275kV Strathmore to Ross line, which runs adjacent to the site.
The total area spans approximately 534 hectares, with the physical disturbance footprint covering 155 hectares. The land has historically been used for cattle grazing and is characterised by cleared and modified vegetation, with patches of remnant woodland and riparian corridors along Lansdowne Creek.
The project’s stated purpose is to supply renewable energy to the Northern Quartz Campus within the Lansdown Eco-Industrial Precinct (LEIP), a development also being advanced by Private Energy Partners that aims to convert Queensland-mined quartz into high-purity silicon for solar modules and semiconductors.
The solar farm would supplement available network capacity and provide baseload and firming electricity to the campus. It is located between the Lansdown Solar North development, which proposes up to 400MW of generation, and the Northern Quartz Campus itself.
This article first appeared on our sister site PV Tech.
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