Australian renewable energy developer Maoneng Group has proposed to develop a solar PV farm with 550 MW AC capacity along with 400 MW/1,600 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS), to come up in New South Wales (NSW), Australia).
The project is planned to be grid connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM), with energy generated to suffice electricity needs of more than 140,000 homes.
The Merriwa Solar Farm is planned to undergo construction for 18 months in Merriwa in the Upper Hunter Shire Council area and come online in 2025 with a 35-year life. Maoneng said it will submit a development application of the same to the NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment.
Notably, the NSW government has received interest for almost 40 GW of renewable energy capacity worth over AUD 100 billion for its Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (see 40 GW RE Capacity For NSW REZ).
Calling the project as one of the largest renewable energy hubs in the country, Maoneng Co-founder and CEO Morris Zhou said, "We have deliberately chosen the site based upon its robust connection to the existing grid, making efficient use of the infrastructure that exists today."
The facility is planned to be equipped with around 1.3 million solar panels, mounted on single-axis trackers and spread on an area of 780 hectares.
Maoneng is also the developer behind 255 MW DC Sunraysia Solar Farm, also in NSW, that's contracted under offtake agreements with the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and AGL Energy.
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