Origin Energy, a leading Australian integrated energy company, has announced the purchase of the Yarrabee Solar Farm in New South Wales (NSW). The first phase of the solar complex, which will be located in NSW’s Riverina district, is expected to have a capacity of 450 MW. Under the planning approval granted by the NSW government in December 2018, this could be upgraded to up to 900 MW.
Origin’s acquisition is part of a larger plan to accelerate the growth of renewable energy in its portfolio. Yarrabee Solar Farm was co-developed by Reach Solar Energy and PwC Australia and is located within a major part of the Transgrid transmission network. Snowy 2.0 and the South-West Renewable Energy Zone will require upgrades to the Transgrid network. Origin recently acquired a solar facility in Victoria with 74 MW of capacity, which is expected to come online in 2023.
In January 2022, Origin Energy Limited issued an Expression of Interest to select a suitably qualified firm to supply and install a large-scale battery at Eraring Power Station in NSW. This battery would have an overall capacity of up to 700 MW and a dispatch duration of 4 hours. According to the company, it is the largest battery project currently under consideration in Australia.
REGlobal’s Views: Australia has many large-scale renewable energy projects coming up owing to a huge untapped potential and the entry of deep-pocketed investors.
