NSW Clears British Firm’s 200 MW PV Project Request

• NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment has approved the development request for a 200 MW solar farm in the state
• It will be developed by the local subsidiary of Britain's RES with an estimated investment of AUD 250 million
• Project is likely to enter construction phase in the summer of 2019 and achieve completion by autumn 2021

The Department of Planning, Industry and Environment in New South Wales (NSW), Australia has approved the development application for the 200 MW Avonlie Solar Farm. Proposed by Renewable Energy Systems Ltd (RES) of the UK, the project is being developed by the company's local subsidiary RES Australia Pty Ltd.

The 200 MW project within Narrandera Shire Council area will be spread on close to 550 hectares of farmland which the company says is used majorly for cropping. It plans to deploy 667,000 solar panels on fixed or single axis tracking system and paired with battery energy storage system of unidentified capacity. The British company expects the project to require capital investments of about AUD 250 million ($169 million).

The British company says it has hired Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy as the principal contractor for the early works of the Avonlie Solar Farm. RES expects construction onsite to begin in the summer of 2019 and grid connection by autumn 2021.

RES has been actively working in Australia since 2004 having developed its first solar PV farm in 2017 with 72 MW capacity in Emerald, Queensland. It is currently working on another 22 MW PV project in Queensland and a 100 MW project in Deniliquin, NSW as per information on its website.

In June 2019, the NSW Department of Planning received a scoping report for a 700 MW solar farm on Salisbury Plains with 100 MW/150 MWh energy storage capacity which will act as a connection point for the first stage of the 4 GW Walcha Energy project (see Scoping Report For 700 MW Solar Farm In NSW).