Newly approved 600MW solar farm in Central-West NSW to power over 260,000 homes
The project is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, the equivalent of removing 1.8 million cars from the road each year.
The Federal Government has approved a new solar farm project in the Central-West Orana region of New South Wales. ACEN Australia's Birriwa Solar and Battery Project will generate 600 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy, enough to power approximately 262,000 homes in NSW. The project includes around 1 million solar panels and a battery energy storage system (BESS) with a capacity of 600 MW, designed to store energy for release during periods of high demand.
The solar farm, located near Dunedoo, will be part of the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which has recently been granted environmental approval for a key transmission line. The project will be constructed on about 1,200 hectares of predominantly cleared grazing land. Upon completion, the area will continue to support sheep grazing, following a model of land use that has been successful at other renewable energy projects in the region.
Around 500 jobs will be created during construction, with 20 ongoing roles once the solar farm is operational. Upon completion, it is anticipated that sheep grazing will continue on site, expanding on ACEN Australia’s success with solar grazing at their New England Solar project.
The Birriwa project forms part of the government's broader plan to transition to renewable energy and reduce energy prices, while also benefiting local economies and job markets.
Minister for the Environment and Water, Tanya Plibersek, highlighted the government's progress on renewables, stating, “Labor is getting on with the job of transforming Australia into a renewable energy superpower.”
“I’ve ticked off more than 55 renewable energy projects in two years - enough to power almost 7 million homes," Plibersek said.
