Solar and PHES projects deemed ‘critical’ in NSW

Other projects designated as CSSI include the Pacific Highway upgrade, the Inland Rail project and the 2.2 GW Snowy 2.0 PHES. Our sister publication, Energy-Storage.newsannounced that the New South Wales Government has awarded Oven Mountain, a 600MW/7200MWh, billion dollar energy storage project, a CSSI classification in 2020.

Of the six new CSSI projects, three proposed transmission projects will connect additional renewable energy generators to the National Energy Market (NEM) to attract further investment to NSW. The remaining three proposed pumped-storage hydro projects will provide reliable generation, power and dispatchability when solar or wind resources are unavailable.

Pumped-storage hydropower and solar triumph in new CSSI allocation

The CSSI list includes the Stratford Pumped Hydro and Solar project. This project, proposed for the Stratford Renewable Energy Hub, consists of a 330 MW solar farm alongside a 3,600 MWh 12-hour cycle hydroelectric storage facility.

The behind-the-meter solar farm would provide some of the energy needed to charge the pumped-storage hydroelectric plant during the day when there is already a surplus of renewable energy in the grid. It will also use existing mine workings and infrastructure associated with the Stratford mining complex, which is due to close in 2024.

In addition to the Stratford project, the Muswellbrook and Lake Lyell pumped-storage hydropower projects have also been designated CSSIs.

Muswellbrook will generate 250 MW of hydroelectric power with eight hours of storage capacity for 2 GWh of stored energy. This will feed into existing high voltage power lines nearby. It is being developed by AGL and Idemitsu Australia.

Lake Lyell on the other hand has a proposed capacity of 335 MW and a storage period of 8 hours. It has an operational life of 80 years and is being studied by EnergyAustralia.

The project will use water from the existing, purpose-built dam at Lake Lyell and a new, purpose-built upper reservoir behind the southern ridge of Mount Walker to service an industrial-scale energy storage project.

Other projects classified as CSSI included the New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Transmission Project, the Victoria NSW Interconnector and the Mount Piper to Wallerawang Transmission.

NSW Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said the classification of new CSSIs “is a signal of confidence from the wider industry in our government’s ability to guide projects through the planning system”.

“These projects will undergo a comprehensive evaluation, including a public exhibition where the community will be able to submit their proposals,” he added.