Malaysian clean energy solutions company Gentari Renewables is set to proceed with the development of the 243MWp Maryvale Solar and Energy Storage Project in New South Wales, Australia.
The solar-plus-storage project will be situated in Maryvale, around 37km southeast of Dubbo, in the Orana region of the state. It will feature a 408MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) Services inked a long-term energy service agreement (LTESA) last year to secure green energy from the project.
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As such, the project will be located in the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), joining projects such as Lightsource bp’s 300MW Wellington North solar PV plant, which ranked as the fifth best performing solar PV asset in terms of AC capacity factor, last month.
Gentari confirmed that the battery will be an advanced lithium-ion phosphate system. PCL Construction’s Solar Division has signed an engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract.
Additionally, supply contracts for the solar PV modules and the BESS have been established with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) Trinasolar and Contemporary Amperex Technology Australia.
Low Kian Min, Gentari’s chief renewables officer, said the project’s incorporation of solar and energy storage will help optimise the site and support the grid’s decarbonisation.
“By integrating advanced solar and storage technologies, we aim to provide reliable renewable energy while supporting the decarbonisation of the grid. This project is an important part of our commitment to helping NSW and Australia meet their clean energy goals,” Min said.
Construction on the site is due to commence by the end of Q1 2025, and commercial operations are anticipated to start in Q2 2027.
The project had originally been proposed by solar developer Wirsol Energy Australia before its acquisition by Gentari in 2023. The acquisition marked Gentari’s first entry into the Australian renewable energy market.
EnergyCo ups Central-West Orana REZ
Earlier this year, the Energy Corporation of New South Wales (EnergyCo) formally increased the amount of renewable energy generation and energy storage projects that can connect to the Central-West Orana REZ to 7.7GW, the same REZ that will house Gentari’s solar-plus-storage site.
The network capacity of the Central-West Orana West REZ will initially operate at 4.5GW. This network capacity enables up to 7.7GW of solar PV, wind and BESS projects to inject power into the grid, as they will be doing so at different times of the day and not all exporting energy simultaneously, EnergyCo said.
The Central-West Orana REZ will be built on roughly 20,000 km2 near Dunedoo, Mudgee, and Dubbo, a rural area about 330km northwest of Sydney. It will potentially unlock an estimated AUS$20 billion in private investment in solar PV, wind, and energy storage.
The Central-West Orana REZ is unique in that it is the first in the country to have transitioned into the delivery phase after receiving Commonwealth planning approval in August 2024.
REZs are each deemed critical infrastructure projects and are being developed across the states in which the NEM operates. They combine transmission infrastructure with large-scale energy generation, such as solar PV and wind, alongside energy storage capabilities. EnergyCo describes them as the “modern-day equivalent of power stations.”
