Australia’s Energy Corporation of New South Wales (EnergyCo) has granted a transmission operator’s licence to the ACEREZ Partnership for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) transmission project.
The stae-owned company said yesterday (25 September) that ACEREZ, a consortium of Acciona Concesiones, Cobra, and Endeavour Energy, was selected by EnergyCo as the preferred network operator to deliver the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system following a rigorous competitive tender.
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The New South Wales minister for energy, Penny Sharpe, granted the license, allowing ACEREZ to design, construct, own, and operate the Central-West Orana REZ transmission system. This will connect renewable energy projects within the REZ to the existing load centres in Newcastle, Sydney, and Wollongong.
Central-West Orana REZ, which will be built on roughly 20,000 km2 near Dunedoo, Mudgee, and Dubbo, a rural area about 330km north-west of Sydney, will deliver at least 4.5GW of transmitted renewable electricity and potentially unlock an estimated AUS$20 billion (US$13.5 billion) in private investment in solar PV, wind, and energy storage.
This REZ is also unique in that it is the first in the country to have transitioned into the delivery phase after receiving Commonwealth planning approval last month (8 August).
Interest in the New South Wales REZs continues to increase. The first tender for the South West REZ saw applicants from projects amounting to around 15GW of solar PV, wind, and energy storage. This was around four times the indicative target, set at 3.98GW.
The South West REZ is to be located west of Wagga Wagga Wagga and will straddle the state’s border with Victoria. Since the launch of its original plan in 2018, its location and design have been slightly amended; it is now expected to take up more land and extend as far west as Buronga.
EnergyCo seeks community input for New England REZ
The New England REZ, also based in New South Wales, is seeking feedback from the community to help shape the future of the network infrastructure project.
Several community reference groups will be established, allowing local residents, community groups, First Nations representatives, and other stakeholders to provide feedback on the project.
The New England REZ is being developed in northern New South Wales. It aims to deliver 8GW of additional network capacity, supporting renewable energy generation technologies and energy storage.
EnergyCo said the New England REZ project is key to the transition to renewable energy across the region. It will provide new transmission lines and energy hubs needed to connect renewable generation projects in the REZ to the existing electricity network at Bayswater, near Muswellbrook.
James Hay, CEO of EnergyCo, believes the input from the community on the New England REZ will be “crucial” during the planning and delivery stages.
“It’s essential that we work closely with the community to understand their needs, protect local interests, and build trust as we move forward,” Hay added.
“The community reference groups will help us do that by bringing local knowledge and perspectives directly into our planning process. They’ll play a critical role in fostering open and regular communication between the project and community, helping us address challenges and maximise community benefits.”
New South Wales is on track to deliver five REZs, alongside New England, South West, and Central-West Orana, the others being the Hunter-Central Coast and Illawarra.
