Irish company DP Energy has announced plans to develop a 1,400 MW renewable energy generation facility and four-hour big battery that would connect to the 1,100 kilometre CopperString transmission project being built by the Queensland government.
The Windy Plains Renewable Energy Park, planned for a site about 40 kilometres southeast of Julia Creek in northwest Queensland, is to include almost 200 wind turbines that will collectively generate up to 1,400 MW of clean energy and a 500 MW battery energy storage system with a four-hour discharge duration.
The facility would connect to the CopperString transmission project being built by government-owned energy cooperation Powerlink. The almost $14 billion project includes the construction of about 1,100 kilometres of high-voltage power lines that would connect northwest Queensland to the national electricity grid. The project is expected to unlock an estimated 6 GW of renewable energy resources in the region.
Hugh Cantwell, DP Energy Australia’s Head of Development, said the Windy Plains project is perfectly positioned to tap into north Queensland’s renewable energy resources, resulting in long‑term economic benefits for the region.
“With strong, consistent winds, ample land, and direct access to new transmission infrastructure, it will power both the grid and local growth for decades to come,” he said.
DP Energy said it recently completed the feasibility stage for the Windy Plains project and is now beginning the assessment, consultation and design phase, including detailed environmental, planning, and technical assessments. The company said community and stakeholder consultation will also begin.
The Windy Plains project joins DP Energy’s Australian portfolio, that includes the proposed 430 MW Callide Wind Farm in central Queensland. The company also developed the 317 MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Hub in South Australia, which is now owned by Iberdrola.
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