Registration Of Interest For Illawarra REZ

• NSW has launched the ROI for Illawarra REZ, the last of its 5 planned REZs in the state
• The call is open to renewable energy developers including for solar PV, storage and distributed energy sources
• Businesses with existing large electrical loads and those that are yet to become operational are also welcome to register

The Energy Corporation (EnergyCo) of New South Wales (NSW) in Australia has officially opened registration of interest (ROI) for Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the last of 5 REZs the government is working on to ensure reliable electricity supply once its coal-fired plants retire.

Illawarra region is a mix of coastal, rural & urban environment with industrial precincts. NSW sees an opportunity to deploy renewable energy here to power existing industries and also access export markets for green hydrogen, ammonia and metal production.

The Illawarra REZ will utilize rehabilitated industrial land, port and transport infrastructure to host the energy infrastructure that will produce cheap and clean energy in accord with the state's objective to drive a 50% reduction in emissions by 2030 under the State's Net Zero Plan.

Call is open to renewable energy developers including for solar farms, onshore and offshore wind farms, distributed energy resources, transmission projects and storage projects, as well as to businesses with new large electrical loads in manufacturing, data centers, intensive agriculture or emerging technologies—that are not yet operational, and to businesses with existing large electrical loads that are seeking to switch to renewable energy, especially in Wollongong, Shellharbour and Kiama areas.

"The ROI is also open to developers and businesses with projects located outside the Illawarra region as these may also influence the design and location of the REZ," it added.

Information collected through this ROI will be assessed to design, develop, inform the best timing, capacity, design and location of the Illawarra REZ. Interested stakeholders developing multiple projects relevant to the zone can submit multiple ROI responses.

Last date to submit registrations for this zone through an online form is July 22, 2022.

The other 4 REZs for NSW have garnered huge interest among investors, namely Central-West Orana, New England, South-West and Hunter-Central Coast REZs. Recently for the Central-West Orana REZ, it announced 3 consortia to select a network operator for transmission network (see Shortlisted Companies For Central-West Orana REZ).