Goldwind Capital (Australia) Pty Ltd. has submitted plans to develop a major hybrid renewable energy facility southwest of Gilgandra in New South Wales, combining a 600-megawatt (MW) wind farm with a large-scale battery storage system.
The proposed Milpulling wind farm will feature up to 76 wind turbine generators, each boasting a rated capacity of up to 10MW and a maximum ground-to-blade-tip height of 300 metres.
The project is located within the NSW government’s formalised Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), which holds an initial network capacity of 4.5 gigawatts.
The clean energy precinct will integrate a massive 250MW, four-hour battery energy storage system (BESS), yielding 1,000 megawatt-hours of storage capacity.
The BESS will be co-located within the turbine hardstand zones to manage peak electricity loads and stabilise the National Electricity Market grid.
Spanning roughly 11,670 hectares across nine agricultural landholdings, the project has been designed to co-exist with existing sheep and cattle grazing and regional cropping.
The estimated direct construction footprint is limited to 512 hectares, reducing local environmental disruption.
Heavy turbine components will be hauled from the Port of Newcastle via targeted upgrades to the Newell Highway and local intersections.
The project has been classified as a State Significant Development (SSD) under NSW law due to its capital value exceeding AU$30 million.
A comprehensive Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is currently being finalised for submission to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure.
The design, final placement of infrastructure and final development footprint are also subject to ongoing environmental assessment and consultation with state government agencies.
Goldwind has utilised community and agency feedback since 2022 to refine the preliminary layout and minimise potential impacts on native vegetation, birds, and bats.
Designed to operate for up to 35 years, the wind farm will either be decommissioned or fully repurposed with advanced turbine equipment at the end of its commercial lifespan.
The project is now under assessment to the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water.
