Australia: Neoen project in NSW was best-performing large-scale solar PV asset in January

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Reddit
Email
A solar PV module array in Australia deployed in a Neoen-managed project.
Neoen’s 36MW Griffith solar PV plant in new South Wales was Australia’s top solar asset. Image: Neoen Solar

French renewable power producer Neoen’s 36MW Griffith solar PV plant in New South Wales, Australia, was the best-performing large-scale solar PV asset in terms of AC capacity factor in January 2025.

This is the second month running that the Griffith plant has topped the list of best-performing Australian solar assets. This is according to David Dixon, a senior analyst at Rystad Energy, who noted that utility-scale solar PV and wind generated 4.8GWh across the month, a 12% increase year-on-year.

This article requires Premium SubscriptionBasic (FREE) Subscription

Try Premium for just $1

  • Full premium access for the first month at only $1
  • Converts to an annual rate after 30 days unless cancelled
  • Cancel anytime during the trial period

Premium Benefits

  • Expert industry analysis and interviews
  • Digital access to PV Tech Power journal
  • Exclusive event discounts

Or get the full Premium subscription right away

Or continue reading this article for free

Whilst December 2024 was a month dominated by solar PV assets in New South Wales, January 2025 features a mix of New South Wales, Western Australia, Victoria and Queensland.

Rounding off the top five assets is Beijing Energy International (BJEI) Australia’s 300MW Wellington North, acquired from Lightsource bp in 2023, Sun Energy’s 100MW Merredin plant in Western Australia, also featuring in the top five for the second month running, CIMIC Group’s 130MW Glenrowan PV plant in Victoria and Spanish solar PV developer X-Elio’s 200MW Blue Grass plant in Queensland.

Image: Rystad Energy (David Dixon via LinkedIn).

Dixon previously said that, on an annual basis, renewable energy generation across the National Electricity Market (NEM) and Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM) reached 92TWh or 39% of total generation.

Casting an eye to the future, Dixon predicts that this 39% figure will increase to around 43-45% in 2025, with several gigawatts of solar PV, including rooftop and utility, as well as wind capacity, to be energised and commissioned across 2025. This will also be aided by utility-scale battery energy storage capacity doubling to over 6GW by year-end.

Grid-scale solar PV on Australia’s NEM sets new quarterly high with over 2GW

According to the Australian Energy Market Operator’s (AEMO) latest Quarterly Energy Dynamics, which encompasses Q4 of 2024, grid-scale solar PV output achieved a new quarterly high average on the NEM, reaching 2,212MW, an increase of 9% YoY.

AEMO said variable renewable energy generation from grid-scale solar PV rose by 259MW YoY due to newly connected facilities and those progressing through the commissioning processes.

This increase in generation capacity was cited as a result of BJEI’s Wellington North PV plant and Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Australia’s 353MW Walla Walla PV plant, which was energised in November 2024.

Casting an eye to the future, UK-based research group Cornwall Insight said last year that the NEM will likely add 150GW of solar PV, wind and energy storage capacity by 2043. A report outlines that the installed capacity for these technologies is expected to rise from 52GW in 2025 to 208GW by 2043, representing a 300% increase.

NEM deemed ‘outdated and stalling investment’

Despite the growing solar PV in Australia, advocacy and engagement platform Clean Energy Investor Group (CEIG) has said that the outdated NEM design is stifling investment in large-scale renewable energy projects.

Indeed, CEIG stated that the NEM’s outdated design, built around an era of coal and gas power, jeopardises investment in technologies such as solar PV, wind, and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Richie Merzian, CEO of the Clean Energy Investor Group, said the ongoing retraction of US policy away from renewables is an opportunity for Australia to attract investment into its energy transition.

“Australia has an incredible opportunity to attract investment to our energy market if our market settings are right. “Investors need clear, effective and predictable signals to drive the investment needed to replace the ageing, unreliable coal fleet,” Merzian said.

Despite this, the Australian government launched a review of the NEM last year, aiming to identify how it will operate in the coming decades and facilitate the uptake of solar PV.

Merzian noted that this review will be a key step in ensuring the NEM is fit for purpose.

“The Federal government’s independent review of the NEM is a key step toward creating a grid that supports firmed renewable energy and the CEIG looks forward to working with the panel,” Merzian said.

Read Next

September 5, 2025
Scientists from Germany and Saudi Arabia have discovered that perovskite thin-film cells are compatible with current industry standard silicon solar cells, which they claim is a “crucial step toward the industrialisation of perovskite silicon tandem solar cells”.
September 5, 2025
During a week of major US clean energy developments, ContourGlobal, PSE, Arevon, and Ameren Missouri advanced solar projects across four states in the US.
September 5, 2025
Newly formed firm Solaris Assets has acquired the business operations and assets of Texas-based residential solar installer Sunnova.
September 5, 2025
Research firm Rystad Energy has found that Queensland’s utility-scale solar PV power plants have dominated the best-performing assets, in terms of AC capacity factor, rankings for August 2025.
September 4, 2025
India’s Goods and Services Tax (GST) Council, the joint forum of the Centre and States, has reduced the GST rate on renewable energy components from 12% to 5%. 
September 4, 2025
The Czech national cybersecurity agency has warned that Chinese solar inverters represent a threat to the country’s data security.

Subscribe to Newsletter

Upcoming Events

Solar Media Events
September 16, 2025
Athens, Greece
Solar Media Events
September 30, 2025
Seattle, USA
Solar Media Events
October 1, 2025
London, UK
Solar Media Events
October 2, 2025
London,UK
Solar Media Events
October 7, 2025
Manila, Philippines