Bids for the South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Access Rights in New South Wales (NSW), Australia have exceeded the targeted capacity by four times, while a 100MW solar-plus-storage project has been approved in the same state.
South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ)
The first tender for the South West Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Access Rights in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, has seen interest from projects amounting to around 15GW of solar PV, wind and energy storage.
Confirmed today (12 September), both the Australian Electricity Market Operator (AEMO) Services and NSW government confirmed that registered interest in the fifth tender figure is around four times the indicative target, which was set at 3.98GW.
AEMO Services said substantial interest was shown in hybrid projects, combining traditional generation infrastructure, such as wind and solar PV technology, with storage systems.
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The tender has attracted bids for long-duration energy storage (LDES) infrastructure that are more than double the target of 1GW. AEMO Services, acting as NSW’s independent Consumer Trustee, can recommend a greater or lesser volume of supported infrastructure than the indicated tender size.
This article was originally published on PV Tech.
100MW solar-plus-storage Wallaroo Solar Farm approved
In related news, the NSW Independent Planning Commission in Australia has approved plans for the 100MW solar-plus-storage Wallaroo Solar Farm, subject to conditions.
Located approximately 1km south of the rural area of Wallaroo, adjacent to the NSW and Australian Capital Territory border, the project will incorporate a co-located 45MW/90MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). The Wallaroo Solar Farm is a joint venture project being proposed by New Energy Development, an Australian renewable energy company based in Canberra, and Univergy International.
The Department of Planning, Housing, and Infrastructure completed its whole-of-government assessment of the Wallaroo Solar Farm in June 2024. The application was referred to the commission for determination because the Yass Valley Council and at least 50 people objected to the proposed development.
Yesterday (11 September), the three-member Commission Panel granted development consent for the project, subject to conditions.
