ESN Premium speaks with Chloe Hicks of EnergyCo about New South Wales’ Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) and its hopes for energy storage.

7.15GW of renewables and energy storage projects have been granted access rights to connect to Australia’s first REZ in Central-West Orana.

A proposed landowner-led 576MWh solar-plus-storage site in Tasmania has been added to Australia’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.

The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in New South Wales, Australia, has increased in size, now allowing 7.7GW of renewable energy generation and energy storage capacity to connect to it.

Developer Squadron Energy is seeking to build an 8-hour duration 1,200MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in New South Wales, Australia, co-located with a 300MW wind project.

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.

Construction has started at the 600MW/1,600MWh Melbourne Renewable Energy Hub (MREH), one of the largest energy storage projects in Victoria, Australia.

Australian utility Origin Energy has started constructing its 300MW/650MW Mortlake battery energy storage system (BESS) in Victoria, Australia.

Acen Australia has seen the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) approve its 600MW Birriwa solar-plus-storage project.

The New South Wales government has deemed three pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) sites as “critical” given their importance to the economy.