450MW Upper Hunter solar PV project secures NSW government approval in Australia

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
The NSW government has also imposed a cap on the proposed BESS. Image: Lightsource bp.

The New South Wales (NSW) government has approved plans for solar developer Lightsource bp’s proposed 450MW Goulburn River Solar Farm, in the Upper Hunter region.

The AUS$880 million (US$596 million) project, which will cover a 793-hectare site around 28 kilometres southwest of Merriwa, 273km northwest of Sydney, becomes the ninth solar farm and twenty-fifth renewable energy project approved under the Minns Labor government, who became the governing body of NSW in June 2021.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Unlock unlimited access for 12 whole months of distinctive global analysis

Photovoltaics International is now included.

  • Regular insight and analysis of the industry’s biggest developments
  • In-depth interviews with the industry’s leading figures
  • Unlimited digital access to the PV Tech Power journal catalogue
  • Unlimited digital access to the Photovoltaics International journal catalogue
  • Access to more than 1,000 technical papers
  • Discounts on Solar Media’s portfolio of events, in-person and virtual

Or continue reading this article for free

It is worth noting that the project is located between the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and the Hunter-Central Coast REZ, and will have direct access to the existing electricity transmission network. A 500kV overhead transmission line is located in the south-eastern corner of the site.

Via this link, the green energy produced by the solar PV project will be dispatched to the National Electricity Market (NEM), further contributing to the NSW government’s target to halve emissions by 2030 and Australia’s wider 82% 2030 renewable energy target.

Plans for the project detail that it will comprise approximately one million bifacial solar PV modules in an east-west single-axis tracking arrangement, with an approximate height of three metres. It will have an operational lifespan of around 40 years.

Lightsource bp will also provide annual contributions to the Upper Hunter Shire Council at the greater of AUS$346 per megawatt installed, or AUS$190,000 through a Voluntary Planning Agreement.

You can find a layout of the solar-plus-storage project proposal below.

Image: Lightsource bp.

NSW government imposes battery energy storage restriction

Planning documents confirm that the project is also set to include co-located battery energy storage systems (BESS). Indeed, the documents confirm that Lightsource bp is looking to develop a 900MWh centralised BESS or a 2,060MWh decentralised BESS installation.

The project determination states that the centralised BESS unit should not exceed a total energy storage capacity of 900MWh. The total energy storage stored in all decentralised battery storage system locations must not exceed 1,160MWh. These restrictions, however, can be modified with a different development application.

Paul Scully, the NSW minister for planning and public spaces, stated that the project is one of many that will help bolster the state’s growing renewable energy infrastructure and play a role in powering the economy for “generations to come”.

“Under our government, we have a planning system that is supporting the renewable energy transition, approving projects that will support our communities, energy security and emissions reductions,” Scully added.

“With 350 jobs generated during construction and operation, this project will benefit the local economy, local communities and provide indirect benefits to local services throughout the life of project.”

Read Next

June 24, 2025
BluPine Energy has raised INR2,416 million (US$290 million) debt sanctions for its 150MW power project in Aland, Karnataka.
June 24, 2025
US solar tracker manufacturer GameChange Solar has signed a deal to supply trackers to 715MWp worth of solar PV capacity across South America.
June 24, 2025
The Chinese polysilicon industry could face a shortage by 2028, despite persistent overcapacity in recent years, according to polysilicon market analyst Bernreuter Research.
June 24, 2025
Western Australia’s Lithium Universe has secured the commercial rights for a solar PV module recycling technology known as Microwave Joule Heating Technology (MJHT).
June 23, 2025
China notched up close to 100GW of new PV in May, in the processes surpassing a terawatt of cumulative installed capacity, figures show.
June 23, 2025
Eni has sold a 20% stake in its renewables arm, Plenitude, to global investment manager Ares Management Corporation.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Upcoming Webinars
June 30, 2025
10am PST / 6pm BST
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
July 1, 2025
London, UK
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
July 2, 2025
Bangkok, Thailand
Media Partners, Solar Media Events
September 2, 2025
Mexico City, Mexico