📋 Tender Overview
Scope of Work:
Construction of 600 MW/1,200 MWh Birriwa solar and battery project.
Description:
The Birriwa solar farm is planned for a 1,200-hectare site about 20 kilometers southeast of Dunedoo within the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). The project will comprise a 600 MW solar farm and a battery energy storage system of up to 600?MW with two hours of storage capacity. The estimated AUD 1 billion ($666.8 million) project is to connect to the national electricity grid via the Merotherie Energy Hub, part of the new transmission network infrastructure being developed by EnergyCo to accommodate the 6 GW of new generation capacity expected to be added in the Central-West Orana REZ.
The Birriwa project is being built on mostly cleared land currently used for grazing and some cropping, and Acen said grazing activities will continue once the project is complete. The project will support about 500 direct jobs during the construction phase and will have the capacity to generate enough renewable energy to power more than 229,000 homes, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent per year. Acen expects to start construction of the project in late 2026 or early 2027, with energy generation anticipated in 2029.
