Andrew Forrest plans massive 2GW wind and solar project, backed by gigawatt-scale 12-hour battery

Andrew Forrest’s 2GW Wind and Solar Project with 12-Hour Battery

Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy Proposes 2GW Renewable Energy Park in NSW

Billionaire Andrew Forrest’s Squadron Energy has unveiled plans for the Koorakee Energy Park, a significant addition to the growing number of renewable energy projects in New South Wales. The proposed park will feature a 2 gigawatt (GW) wind and solar energy facility supported by a massive one gigawatt, 12-hour battery system.

Situated below a spur link for Project Energy Connect, the country’s largest transmission project connecting South Australia and NSW, the Koorakee Energy Park will also offer a connection into Victoria. The project is set to utilise a 220 kV line and covers a vast 58,000-hectare site primarily consisting of grazing land held by seven agricultural leaseholders near Euston, NSW.

Renewable Energy Mix

The Koorakee Energy Park will comprise 1 GW of wind power, 1 GW of solar energy, and a 1 GW battery capable of storing up to 12 hours of energy (12 GWh). The wind component will feature 176 turbines reaching a height of 270 metres, while the solar project will span 3,100 hectares of panels.

Squadron Energy is currently exploring various battery technologies, 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 design of the storage system.

The scale of the Koorakee project suggests it could potentially power around one-third of households in NSW, according to Squadron Energy.

Expanding Renewable Energy Landscape

With the addition of the Koorakee Energy Park, there are now a total of 10.05 GW of wind and solar projects proposed for the region, exceeding the NSW government’s planned network capacity of 3.98 GW. The Balranald council area already hosts 10 renewable energy projects, including operational solar farms like Limondale and Sunraysia.

The Koorakee project 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) in progress. Other projects in the vicinity include Spark Renewables’s 1 GW Mallee wind farm with 600 MW of solar and a 350 MW/750 MWh battery, as well as developments by Acciona, Windlab, and BayWa RE.

Transmission and Connectivity

The Squadron project will connect to either the existing 220kV Buronga/Balranald Transgrid transmission line or the 330kV Project EnergyConnect interconnector linking NSW, South Australia, and Victoria. This strategic positioning aims to unlock renewable resources in the region, addressing historical network constraints that have hindered renewable energy development.

Transgrid CEO Brett Redman highlighted the significance of the new inter-state transmission line in enabling the harnessing of renewable energy potential in the area. The southern section of the project area has previously faced network limitations, leading to challenges for renewable energy projects.

Squadron Energy, with its portfolio of operational, approved, and planned renewable energy projects, continues to drive the transition towards sustainable energy solutions, with the Koorakee Energy Park marking a significant step in this direction.

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