Global Power Generation, a joint venture between the Spanish energy provider Naturgy and the Kuwait Investment Authority, has acquired the Cunderdin hybrid solar project in Australia. A 55 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) and about 125 MWdc of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity will be used in the Cunderdin project. The hybrid facility will be built by SBP close to Cunderdin in Western Australia and connected to the South West Interconnected System (SWIS).
The project is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2024, with site preparations set to start in the final three months of 2022. The purchase of the hybrid PV-battery plant has allowed Naturgy to increase its market share in Western Australia. The agreement also helps the company achieve its goal of having 2.2 GW of installed capacity in the nation by 2025. Currently, Naturgy is working on projects in a number of additional Australian states, including Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
In May 2022, Spanish utility Naturgy began construction of a 300 MWdc solar photovoltaic (PV) facility in Texas with a $276 million investment. The 7V Solar Ranch plant is being developed on more than 800 hectares of land in Fayette County and is expected to be operational by 2023. The project marks the beginning of the development of the solar and energy storage portfolio that Naturgy bought from Hamel Renewables in 2021.
