The Muswellbrook Solar Farm, being developed by Swedish-headquartered renewable energy developer OX2 in partnership with the Australian arm of Japanese resources and energy company Idemitsu, has won approval from the New South Wales (NSW) Independent Planning Commission (IPC).
The $302 million (USD 195 million) project is to include 135 MW of PV generating capacity and a 135 MW, two-hour capacity battery energy storage system deployed across a 482-hectare site adjacent to the now shuttered Muswellbrook Coal Mine, owned by Idemitsu.
OX2 said the project will connect to the NSW electricity network via Ausgrid’s existing 132 kV transmission line to the west of the site. Operations are expected to begin in 2027 with the facility to generate enough renewable energy each year to power the equivalent of about 52,500 homes.
In its Statement of Reasons for Decision, the IPC said the site was “suitable for the project given its location within the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and its consistency with the applicable strategic land use planning framework and relevant statutory requirements.”
“The project represents a significant contribution to the state’s transition to renewable energy and renewable energy targets,” the Commission said.
The IPC however emphasised that the approval is subject to several conditions, including the developers entering into a voluntary planning agreement with Muswellbrook Shire Council to deliver benefits to the community, and developing an accommodation and employment strategy to avoid negative impacts on the local community. The project is expected to generate up to 200 jobs during the construction phase.
Also included in the specific conditions of approval is the requirement to develop a waste management plan that identifies opportunities to maximise recycling of solar panel related waste.
The solar and battery storage project forms part of Idemitsu’s plan to repurpose the Muswellbrook coal mine site into a renewable energy precinct, with plans in place to add pumped hydro to the mix.
Idemitsu is working with energy producer and retailer AGL to develop a 400 MW, eight-hour duration pumped hydro project at the site.
The company said the proposed Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro plant, declared critical state significant infrastructure by the state government, would provide essential long-duration storage for the NSW electricity grid.
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