Andrew Forrest’s 2GW Renewable Energy Project with 12-hour Battery
Billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy has unveiled plans for the Koorakee Energy Park, a massive renewable energy project in the south west renewable energy zone of New South Wales. The project includes a 2 gigawatt (GW) wind and solar energy park supported by a colossal one gigawatt, 12-hour battery system.
Situated below a spur link for Project Energy Connect, the country’s largest transmission initiative connecting South Australia and NSW, the Koorakee Energy Park covers a vast 58,000-hectare site primarily used for grazing and held by seven agricultural leaseholders near Euston, NSW.
Renewable Energy Components
The Koorakee Energy Park comprises 1 GW of wind power, 1 GW of solar energy, and a remarkable 1 GW battery capable of storing up to 12 hours of energy. The wind segment will feature 176 turbines reaching a height of 270 metres, while the solar section will span 3,100 hectares of panels.
Battery Technology Considerations
Squadron Energy is currently evaluating various battery technologies for the project, including lithium-ion, lead acid, sodium sulphur, sodium or nickel hydride, electrochemical technology (such as flow batteries), cryogenic storage, and compressed air. The final choice of battery technology will influence the project’s design.
The Koorakee project’s scale suggests it could potentially power up to one third of households in NSW, making it a significant contributor to the state’s renewable energy goals.
With 10 other renewable energy projects already in progress in the Balranald council area, the addition of Koorakee brings the total proposed wind and solar capacity in the region to 10.05 GW, surpassing the NSW government’s planned network capacity of 3.98 GW.
Expanding Renewable Energy Landscape
The Koorakee Energy Park will neighbour the 700 MW Euston wind project by Irish developer DP Energy, which is further along in the planning process with an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) underway. Other projects in the vicinity include Spark Renewables’s 1GW Mallee wind farm with attached solar capacity and a substantial battery, as well as developments by Acciona, Windlab, and BayWa RE.
The Squadron project aims to connect to either the existing 220kV Buronga/Balranald Transgrid transmission line or the 330kV Project EnergyConnect interconnector, enhancing the region’s renewable energy infrastructure.
Transgrid CEO Brett Redman highlighted the significance of the new inter-state transmission line in unlocking renewable resources in the area, which has historically faced network constraints. The region’s potential for renewable energy generation was previously hindered by infrastructure limitations, leading to challenges for projects in Victoria and South Australia.
Squadron Energy, with multiple operational, approved, and planned renewable energy projects, continues to drive the transition towards sustainable energy solutions, with the Koorakee Energy Park poised to make a substantial impact on the state’s renewable energy landscape.
