The Australian federal government said on Monday it has given the thumbs up to Lightsource bp’s Goulburn River Solar Farm project, set to create a 450-MW solar complex coupled with battery storage in New South Wales.
Lightsource bp, the UK-based solar developer half-owned by BP Plc (LON:BP), secured the approval several months after its development application for the over AUD-800-million (USD 539.8m/EUR 4921m) proposal was cleared by the New South Wales government.
To be installed 28 km (17.4 mi) southwest of Merriwa in the state’s Upper Hunter region, the photovoltaic (PV) complex is expected to produce 992,000 MWh of electricity per year, or enough to supply 191,000 homes. The operation of its roughly one million panels are expected to offset around 733,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, supporting the state’s goal for net zero emissions.
The project is located between the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and the Hunter-Central Coast REZ and will have direct access to the existing electricity transmission network. The selected site has been cleared and is currently used for grazing activities.
According to the project’s website, building works will commence with road upgrades towards the end of 2024. Up to 350 jobs are expected to be created during the construction phase.
(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.675/EUR 0.615)
Extracted in full from: https://renewablesnow.com/news/lightsource-bp-wins-aussie-govt-nod-for-450-mw-solar-project-in-nsw-870877/
