600MW solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales secures federal approval

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
Development of a 200MW/400MWh BESS at Acen Australia’s New England Solar (above) is set to commence soon. Image: Acen Australia.

Acen Australia’s 600MW Birriwa solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales has been granted federal approval from Tanya Plibersek, Australia’s minister for the environment and water.

The project will include a centralised battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of up to 600MW/1,200MWh and a duration of 2-hours. This setup will allow the excess electricity generated by the 600MW solar PV component of the project to be stored and released during peak demand periods.

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

In a statement made yesterday (9 September), the government outlined that “projects like this are vital to boosting renewables capacity and putting downward pressure on prices, but they are also great for local jobs and economies”. The project will support around 500 direct jobs in construction and 20 ongoing jobs.

Acen Australia had been granted approval for the project by the New South Wales Independent Planning Commission (IPC) last month. The developer will now turn its attention to preparing for construction, including developing temporary workers’ accommodation, implementing its strategy to employ local staff where possible, and sourcing goods and services from local businesses.

Tanya Plibersek used the progression of the project to dampen ideas surrounding the use of nuclear energy in Australia.

“Australians have a choice between a renewable energy transition that’s already underway and driving down prices, or paying for an expensive nuclear fantasy that may never happen,” Plibersek said.

“I’ve ticked off more than 55 renewable energy projects in two years – enough to power almost seven million homes.”

The project is set to be developed on an area of approximately 1,200 hectares consisting of mostly cleared grazing land, about 20km southeast of Dunedoo, in the NSW Central-West Orana region, the location of one of the Renewable Energy Zones (REZ) being developed in the state. The REZ recently transitioned into the delivery phase, as reported by PV Tech.

According to planning documents, the project will feature around 1.2 to 1.4 million solar PV modules alongside associated mounting infrastructure up to 4.7m in height. An on-site substation with a connection voltage of up to 500kV will also be created.

Construction is anticipated to begin in late 2026 – early 2027 for six months, and it will have an expected operational lifespan of 30 years. However, the project may include infrastructure upgrades that could prolong its longevity.

Read Next

June 30, 2025
Australian module manufacturer Tindo Solar has secured a 30MW solar module supply agreement to power Australia's first "net zero pipeline”.
June 27, 2025
Renewables investment platform Nexwell Power has signed a round of power purchase agreements (PPAs) with “one of the largest” US tech companies for solar PV capacity to be built in Spain.
June 27, 2025
Statkraft has signed PPAs with Better Energy to purchase energy from two solar power plants in Poland with a total capacity of 64GWh.
June 27, 2025
Solar developer Lightsource bp has signed a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a subsidiary of Taiwanese energy firm HD Renewable Energy (HDRE).
June 26, 2025
ACEN has partnered with UPC Renewables to build two renewable projects in Rajasthan and Karnataka, India. 
June 26, 2025
Nextracker will supply solar tracker systems to a 550MW solar PV project in the Greek province of Western Macedonia, owned by Greek renewables developer PPC Renewables.

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