Work begins on 720MW solar farm with battery storage in New South Wales, Australia

March 23, 2021
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The New England Solar Farm has been developed by UPC\AC Australia. Image: UPC/AC Australia.

Construction has started on what claims to be Australia’s largest hybrid solar and battery energy storage facility.

The New England Solar Farm comprises a 720MW hybrid solar and battery project across two sections of land near Uralla in New South Wales (NSW). It is being developed by UPC\AC Australia – a joint venture between UPC Renewables and AC Energy, a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation in the Philippines.

The project will be brought to life in two stages. In the first stage, engineering procurement and construction (EPC) partner Green Light Contractors, a subsidiary of Spanish solar company Elecnor, will build 400MW of solar capacity, a substation and a 50MW/50MWh battery energy storage system. This stage is expected to be completed in early 2023, after which Green Light will add a further 320MW of solar capacity, and extend the battery capacity to 400MWh.

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17 March 2026
Sydney, Australia
As we move into 2026, Australia is seeing real movement in emerging as a global ‘green’ superpower, with energy storage at the heart of this. This Summit will explore in-depth the ‘exponential growth of a unique market’, providing a meeting place for investors and developers’ appetite to do business. The second edition will shine a greater spotlight on behind-the-meter developments, with the distribution network being responsible for a large capacity of total energy storage in Australia. Understanding connection issues, the urgency of transitioning to net zero, optimal financial structures, and the industry developments in 2026 and beyond.

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