Octopus Australia has broken ground on the AU$900 million Blind Creek solar farm and battery project in New South Wales, a pioneering hybrid solar and battery project founded by a group of local farmers and renewable energy experts.
The project will combine 300 megawatts (MW) of solar with a 243 MW, 486 megawatt per hour (MWh) battery. Pairing solar generation with storage provides firmed renewable electricity that gives customers price certainty and confidence.
The site will connect via a new substation into the transmission backbone between Sydney and Canberra. The hybrid solar farm and battery is designed to strengthen grid reliability and provide clean energy to replace ageing coal stations.
The project is due to be fully operational in 2028. Construction is being led by EPC Contractor GRS, with Wärtsilä Energy Storage supplying the battery energy storage system (BESS).
NSW Premier Chris Minns said: “This is the kind of project New South Wales needs as we replace ageing energy infrastructure.
“We need to keep the lights on, keep costs as low as possible, and to keep regional communities with us along the way.
“The Blind Creek project is creating local jobs, and it will help deliver the replacement energy that households and businesses rely on.”
Construction of the solar-battery hybrid project is expected to support up to 300 full-time jobs, with around half the required workers to be sourced from the local Bungendore and Monaro regions.
The Blind Creek project was initiated in partnership with local sheep farmers looking to integrate agriculture with energy production as a means to future-proof their property.
The solar farm will co-exist with rotational grass-fed lamb production, allowing for short periods of intensive grazing. The project will also boost grazing capability due to protection from winds, partial shading, condensation and organic soil improvements.
Octopus Australia CEO Sam Reynolds said: “This project shows what happens when global capital, Australian super and regional farming families align under stable government policy. You get real infrastructure, real clean electricity and real jobs.
“Octopus Australia’s strategy is designed precisely for this, to align long term capital with regional communities and deliver bankable projects.”