Australia: Largest Wind-Solar-Battery Storage Project Signed 30-year Connection Agreement

Neoen Australia, a subsidiary of French renewable energy and storage provider Neoen, has signed a connection agreement with the local transmission company ElectraNet. 

The 30-year Transmission Connection Agreement (TCA) allows the first stage of its $3 billion (USD 2 billion) Goyder South project to connect to the grid, setting the door for South Australia’s largest future wind, solar, and battery storage potential at the site. It initially connects 209MW of the Goyder South project’s first 412MW wind farm stage.

Goyder South has several key customers who will account for nearly all of the project’s output in the first stage, including the ACT government, retailer Flow Power, and a historic “baseload” power deal with Broken Hill Proprietary (BHP) to supply its massive Olympic Mine dam in South Australia.

Source&Image: Ashley Manna (ElectraNet)

Group Executive Corporate Development, Ashley Manna, said:

“A TCA for the second half is expected to be executed in the coming months for additional wind generation. Over time, Neoen has big plans for this site, including the potential to install a grid-scale battery as well as additional wind and solar generation. Construction of our connection assets is already well underway, with energisation expected in early-mid 2023.”

“Neoen are world leaders in the clean energy landscape. This project continues to build on the long-standing relationship that ElectraNet has established with Neoen through the connection of all three stages of the Hornsdale Windfarm and also Hornsdale Power Reserve, the world’s first “big battery” that paved the way for many more across the country and around the globe.”

“Supporting the progress of new customer projects, as well as the substantial effort being undertaken for existing customers, has seen our efforts reach new highs for South Australia’s clean energy transformation.”

goyder connect
Image: Neon

“We are thrilled to have signed the TCA for the first stage of Goyder South, and we congratulate the Electranet team for all their hard work and commitment,” said Louis de Sambucy, Managing Director of Neoen Australia. As the transition continues, we look forwards to working closely with ElectraNet to unlock future stages of Goyder and bring highly competitive clean energy into the South Australian grid.”

About the Goyder Renewables Zone project

The Goyder Renewables Zone is planned to be developed in five stages. Each stage will have 400MW of wind power, 200MW of solar power, and a battery storage capacity of 300MW/600MWh. The Goyder Renewable Zone will be Australia’s largest hybrid renewable energy project and will build three new substations.

About the Goyder Renewables Zone project
Source&Image: Neoen was delighted to welcome South Australia’s Premier, Peter Malinauskas, and Energy Minister, Tom Koutsantonis, to the Goyder South Stage 1 project site on August 25, 2022 (goyderenergy.com.au)

The preliminary Goyder Renewables Zone work has been completed, and the wind farm’s main construction is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2022, with commissioning in 2024.

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The location

The Goyder Renewables Zone is a hybrid renewable energy development proposed for the area around Burra in South Australia’s Goyder region. The Zone is divided into two projects: Goyder North (north of Burra) and Goyder South (south of Burra).

Neoen is developing the proposed renewable energy zone in five stages. The first three stages are Goyder South, and the last two are Goyder North.

The location
Image: goyderenergy.com.au

Goyder South Stage 1: Wind farm development

The Goyder South Stage 1 wind farm is set to open in 2024. It already has a 100-MW power purchase agreement (PPA) with the Australian Capital Territory  (ACT) for 75 GE 5.5-158 Cypress platform turbines. Flow Power, an Australian electricity retailer, will purchase electricity from a 40-MW portion of the capacity.
Goyder South Stage 1 will be built as a 412-megawatt wind farm with 75 wind turbines, 37 x 5.5MW wind turbine generators, 600 MW of solar generation, and 900 MW of battery storage capacity. Because of its proximity to the Robertstown substation, Neoen intends to build Goyder South – Stage 1 first.

Goyder South Stages 2 and 3

The scope of Goyder South Stages 2 and 3 will be determined by the progress of Project EnergyConnect, which will connect the electrical grids of NSW and SA. Eventually, a new transmission line will connect Goyder North and Goyder South.

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