Swedish renewable energy developer OX2 has formally taken ownership of the 1.2GW Dinner Hill Wind Farm and the co-located 400MWh Harvest Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) in Western Australia.
The Dinner Hill Wind Farm will feature up to 1.2GW capacity with approximately 160 turbines across a 32,500-hectare project area located in Hill River, northeast of Badgingarra within the Shire of Dandaragan. The wind farm will connect directly to the 330kV Neerabup to Eneabba transmission line via a terminal station within the project area.
Meanwhile, the co-located Harvest BESS will be configured as a 100MW/400MWh system with 4-hours of energy storage, designed to enhance grid stability and enable greater integration of renewable energy generation across the network. The battery storage system spans approximately 1,630 hectares.
Both of the projects will connect to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS), Western Australia’s primary electricity grid. It covers a large portion of the state’s southwest, including Perth and surrounding areas, stretching from Kalbarri in the north to Albany in the south and Kalgoorlie in the east.
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OX2 acquired both projects from undisclosed original developers, who will continue to manage the approval process as part of the acquisition agreement. The company plans to commence community engagement activities in late 2025, working with local communities, Dandaragan Shire Council and Traditional Custodians to develop community benefit programmes.
Subject to environmental and heritage approvals and achieving grid connection agreements, Harvest BESS is expected to commence operations in 2029, with the Dinner Hill Wind Farm following in 2032.
Stephen Symons, vice-president of OX2 Australia, emphasised the project’s role in supporting Australia’s renewable energy transition and regional economic development through local investment and job creation during the construction and operations phases.
“The Dinner Hill Wind Farm and Harvest BESS will contribute to the state’s energy transition and regional economic development through local investment and jobs during construction and operations,” Symons added.
Earlier this year, the developer received approval for its 270MWh Muswellbrook solar-plus-storage site, subject to conditions. More recently, the company submitted plans for a 150MW solar-plus-storage project in Queensland, featuring a 128MW/256MWh 2-hour duration BESS, to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The 100MW/400MWh Harvest system will provide critical grid services, including frequency regulation and renewable energy firming, in a region increasingly dependent on variable renewable energy generation.
The Western Australian projects expand OX2’s growing Australian portfolio, which now comprises over 3GW of solar, wind and storage projects across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.
OX2’s Western Australian entry follows the company’s acquisition by EQT Group in October 2024, providing additional capital resources for project development and construction. The Swedish company, founded in 2004, operates across 11 European markets and has established a substantial project development portfolio of over 25GW globally.
