EDPR Australia to fast track solar and battery projects following government awards

EDP, via EDP Renewables Australia (EDPR Australia), aims to fast track over 1.7GW of solar and storage projects in Australia after securing the government’s awards for long-term revenue generation.

It was awarded generation revenue schemes under the Australian national government’s Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) Tender 4 for two flagship hybrid projects.

The projects are the Punchs Creek renewable energy project in Queensland and the Merino hybrid project in New South Wales.

Together, these projects will contribute more than 1.7GW of solar power and battery storage to the country’s energy mix.

The Punchs Creek renewable energy project, located in the Queensland’s Toowoomba region, will feature 480MWp of solar co-located with a 400MW/1,600MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).

The Merino hybrid project in New South Wales, meanwhile, comprises 530MWp of solar co-located with a 450MW/1,800MWh BESS.

These projects are expected to accelerate renewable capacity in the national electricity market, stated EDP.

The Punchs Creek project is projected to achieve financial closure by 2026, with commissioning planned for early 2029.

The Merino hybrid project is expected to achieve ‘ready-to-build’ status in the latter half of 2026.

When fully operational, the projects will include 1.5 million solar panels spread over 1,600 hectares, producing about 2.2TWh of clean energy each year.

These projects will supply power to approximately 380,000 Australian households during periods of peak demand.

The construction of the projects is expected to create over 1,600 local jobs.

EDPR Australia has allocated up to A$17m ($10.97m) for shared benefit programmes supporting local communities and First Nations people.

EDP Renewables APAC CEO Miguel Fonseca said: “This CIS award is a testament to EDP’s leadership and proven track record in delivering large-scale, high-quality renewable projects.

“With over A$2bn planned investment and a 4GW pipeline, EDP is accelerating our contribution to the country’s renewable energy targets. This reflects our strong belief in Australia’s potential and our commitment to leading its energy transformation.”

EDP Renewables Australia country director Simon Franklin said: “Our commitment to the Millmerran, Tirrannaville and Goulburn communities are at the heart of these projects. We are grateful to federal energy minister, the Hon[ourable] Chris Bowen for the vital support.

“Securing generation revenue schemes under the CIS strengthens and affirms our ambition to accelerate Australia’s energy transition through high-quality, sustainable growth.”

EDPR Australia has a pipeline of approximately 4GW, which encompasses over 30 town-scale and large projects.

This February, EDP Renewables North America launched the Ragsdale solar park in Madison County in the US state of Mississippi.