Edify Energy’s proposed Nowingi Solar Power Station project planned for near Mildura in northwest Victoria has been determined “not a controlled action” under the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
The Nowingi Solar Power Station is to comprise a 300 MW solar farm with an “integrated” battery energy storage system (BESS) that would be sized at up to 300 MW / 2,400 MWh.
“Once operational, Nowingi will be the largest duration BESS facility in Australia, capable of dispatching 300 MW an hour for eight hours,” Edify Chief Executive Officer John Cole said. “That’s enough to power 100,000 homes.”
The Nowingi battery’s claim as the biggest of its kind in Australia is not expected to last for long with other large-scale systems, including a 400 MW / 3,200 MWh battery planned by developer Neoen, in the pipeline.
Neoen Australia earlier this month submitted plans to develop an eight-hour battery alongside a 500 MW wind farm in Western Australia’s Wheatbelt region. The Yathroo project is proposed for a site about five kilometres south of Dandaragan, about 120 km north of Perth.
The Nowingi project is planned for a 639-hectare site located about 50 km south of Mildura in northwest Victoria. Documents submitted as part of the EPBC Act application show the facility will connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via an existing overhead 220 kV transmission line owned and operated by Ausnet.
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt said the go-ahead for the Nowingi project marks a significant milestone for Australia’s clean energy transition, revealing it is the 100th renewable energy project to be given the green light by the Albanese government.
Watt said 43 solar farms, 13 energy storage systems, 22 onshore wind farms, 13 infrastructure and exploration projects, including for offshore wind farms, and nine transmission projects have been approved in the past 3.5 years.
“We are setting Australia up for a future powered by renewables, which is the cheapest and cleanest energy available,” he said, adding that “almost 90% of these approval decisions were delivered on time.”
Watt said the Nowingi Power Station is an excellent example of what can be achieved with good design and site selection.
“That work led to faster approval times and will ultimately deliver reliable, renewable energy with minimal impact to the environment,” he said.
Edify hopes to start construction of the solar and battery project in 2026. The company said the construction phase is expected to take up to 18 months and will generate approximately 250 new jobs.
“Nowingi represents a cornerstone in delivering a reliable, affordable, and fully renewable national electricity system, while creating regional construction jobs and investment in north-west Victoria,” Cole said.
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