Lightsource bp cleared to proceed with 450-MW solar project in NSW

Lightsource bp, the UK-based solar developer half-owned by BP Plc (LON:BP), has obtained the green light from the New South Wales government to build a 450-MW solar park with battery storage in the Aussie state.

The approval for the AUD-800-million (USD 538m/EUR 483.8m) Goulburn River Solar Farm was announced by the state government on Friday.

Planned to be installed near Goulburn in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales, the photovoltaic (PV) complex is expected to produce 992,000 MWh of electricity per year, which will be enough to cover the consumption of 191,000 homes. The site’s operations are expected to offset around 733,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions annually, supporting the state’s goal for net zero emissions.

The solar farm will be coupled with a battery energy storage system (BESS) to store excess electricity and feed it back to the grid during peak demand periods to enhance grid stability and energy security.

The project is located between the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) and the Hunter-Central Coast REZ and will have direct access to the existing electricity transmission network. Its construction is expected to open about 350 jobs.

In March, Lightsource bp secured the Australian federal government's nod for a project envisaging the construction of a 700-MW/840-MWp solar park with battery storage New South Wales’ Central-West Orana REZ.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.673/EUR 0.605)

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