100MW solar-plus-storage site submitted to Australia’s EPBC Act

The development is situated roughly 410km northwest of Sydney, within the Narrabri Shire Local Government Area. It covers a site of 314 hectares, with construction scheduled to commence in February 2027.

The initial phases will involve site establishment, which includes installing piles to support the solar modules driven 1.5 to 2.5 meters into the ground. Additionally, the project will include constructing internal access tracks, preparing the substation bench and installing security infrastructure.

According to the EPBC Act documents, the construction phase is expected to last approximately 18 months, with peak construction activities concentrated in a 12-month period.

The operational phase is projected to extend for 30 years until 2058, after which decommissioning will occur with commitments to return the site to a safe, stable and non-polluting state capable of sustaining pre-solar PV power plant agricultural land uses.

This project marks the most recent collaboration between ACE Power and Osaka Gas Energy Australia. In 2023, the two companies signed an agreement to jointly develop a portfolio of utility-scale solar and battery projects with a total capacity exceeding 500MW in New South Wales and Queensland.

This collaboration resulted in the two organisations recently joining forces to develop the 141MWdc Forbes Solar Farm proposed for central New South Wales in Australia.

The 141MW solar PV power plant will include up to 4-hours of co-located battery energy storage (480MWh) and is scheduled to begin construction in October 2026, subject to approval via the EPBC Act.

Narrabri Solar Farm to incorporate agrivoltaics

Narrabri Solar Farm has been classified as a State Significant Development under New South Wales planning legislation, with its capital investment exceeding AU$30 million (US$19 million).

An initial environmental assessment identified potential impacts on the EPBC-listed threatened species Lepidium monoplocoides, more commonly known as the Winged Peppercress.

This nationally endangered plant species is endemic to inland south-eastern Australia. To minimise environmental impacts, the project design incorporates significant avoidance areas.

Approximately 102 hectares of the project area have been designated as avoidance areas to protect local biodiversity.

During operation, the solar PV power plant will incorporate agrivoltaics, enabling sheep grazing for vegetation management beneath the solar modules to maintain the agricultural use of the land throughout the operational period.

Solar PV in Australia’s EPBC Act

Australia’s renewable energy sector continues to expand rapidly, with numerous large-scale solar and storage projects progressing through the federal environmental approval process under the EPBC Act.

The EPBC Act, administered by the federal government, aims to protect nationally threatened species and ecological communities. A project must receive approval under the act before development can begin.

If a project is deemed to significantly impact these matters, it becomes a “controlled action” requiring assessment and approval under the EPBC Act. In contrast, if a project does not have a significant impact, it becomes “not a controlled action,” meaning it is clear for development.

Recently, developer Edify Energy’s proposed 300MW Nowingi Solar Power Station project near Mildura in northwest Victoria was determined “not a controlled action” under the EPBC Act.

The project will comprise a 300MW solar PV power plant with an integrated BESS sized at up to 300MW/2,400MWh, connecting to the NEM via an existing 220kV transmission line.

Another solar PV power plant, the Weasel Solar Farm, a landowner-led 250MW solar-plus-storage project in Tasmania, received EPBC Act clearance in just 20 days earlier this year.

Australia’s NEM continues to set new renewable energy records. As reported by PV Tech earlier this week, on 22 September, the NEM achieved a new instantaneous renewable energy share record of 78.6%.

Rooftop solar’s contribution peaked at 45.9% of total demand, representing nearly half of all electricity consumed across the five NEM states and territories. This solar penetration forced coal generation down to a historic minimum of 21.9%, while combined coal and gas generation fell to just 22.5% of the mix.