Global Power Generation (GPG) Australia, a subsidiary of Spanish energy company Naturgy, has been given the all-clear under the Australian government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act for its Fraser Coast solar farm and battery project.
GPG plans to build a 290 MW solar farm featuring approximately 600,000 solar panels alongside a 180 MW / 360 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) near the township of Brooweena, about 47 km southwest of Maryborough.
The federal environment regulator has determined the project, to be built on a 555-hectare site that is currently being used for agricultural purposes, primarily stock grazing, is “not a controlled action” under the EPBC Act.
The developer has previously indicated that, subject to approvals and commercial considerations, construction of the solar and battery project would commence this year but it is more likely to begin in 2026. This phase is expected to take about 14 months to complete.
Once operational, the Fraser Coast solar farm and battery facility is expected to generate approximately 380 GWh of renewable energy each year and would connect to the National Electricity Market (NEM) via a 275 kV transmission line linking to Powerlink’s nearby Teebar Substation. The project has a grid connection agreement in place.
The EPBC decision comes as GPG commences commissioning and testing of the 200 MW Glenellen Solar Farm being developed in southern New South Wales.
The project, located about 16 km north of Albury, has now been registered in the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) Market Management System (MMS).
MMS registration enables PV power plants to participate in NEM dispatch and settlement processes. The registration process requires completion of connection agreements, compliance testing, and technical validation before facilities can commence commercial operation.
Backed by a long-term power purchase agreement with Telstra covering 50% of the electricity that will be generated by the facility, the Glenellen Solar Farm will connect to the NEM via Transgrid’s existing 330 / 132 kV Jindera terminal substation, adjacent to the project site.
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