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.
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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.
