The initiative will be backed by a battery-based energy storage solution.
An Irish company, DP Energy, plans to establish the 1,400 megawatt (MW) Windy Plains Renewable Energy Park, situated 40 kilometers southeast of Julia Creek in the McKinlay Shire of Queensland.
According to the company, the wind farm will include 197 wind turbines, backed by battery energy storage systems with a capacity of approximately 500 MW / 2000 megawatt-hours.
The selected location is well-suited for the project due to its configuration. Advantages include favorable wind conditions, expansive land areas with limited closeness to nearby homes, a level landscape that will result in economical installation, and access to the newly built CopperString transmission line by Powerlink Queensland.
The Windy Plains Renewable Energy Initiative is currently in the feasibility phase, with comprehensive environmental, cultural heritage, and technical evaluations being conducted. Approvals from Queensland and federal authorities will come after further detailed research and stakeholder engagement.
DP Energy Australia is currently in contact with initial nearby parties to the project, such as McKinlay Shire Council, Queensland Government departments, Indigenous groups, and additional interested parties.
In addition to this project, the company’s Australian holdings consist of the 430 MW Callide Wind Farm in Queensland, the 700 MW Euston Wind Farm in New South Wales, the 320 MW Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park in South Australia, along with a range of early-stage initiatives mainly located in New South Wales and Queensland.
