The Albanese Government has now approved 100 renewable energy projects since coming to office in May 2022, with nearly 90 per cent of decisions delivered on time.
Together, the projects are expected to generate enough electricity to power every household in Australia. They are also projected to cut annual greenhouse gas emissions by more than 53 million tonnes, the equivalent of removing 16.7 million passenger cars from the road.
The approvals span 43 solar farms, 22 onshore wind farms, 13 storage systems, 13 exploration and infrastructure projects including offshore wind, and 9 transmission projects.
The Nowingi Solar Power Station in north-west Victoria became the 100th project approved. Located 47 kilometres south of Mildura, it will include a solar farm with up to 300 MW capacity and an eight-hour battery, the largest of its kind in Australia.
Federal Minister for the Environment and Water Murray Watt said the approval round showed the Government’s intent to keep the pipeline of projects moving.
“We are setting Australia up for a future powered by renewables, which is the cheapest and cleanest energy available,” Minister Watt said.
He added that the Nowingi development stood out because of its design and location. The project site sits within an easement corridor and close to existing transmission lines, which reduced the environmental and land use impacts and helped shorten the approval process.
John Cole, CEO of Edify Energy, the company behind Nowingi, welcomed the outcome.
“The fact it’s the 100th project to be signed off by this Government makes it extra special,” he said.
“Once operational, Nowingi will be the largest duration BESS facility in Australia, capable of dispatching 300MW an hour for eight hours. That’s enough to power 100,000 homes.”
The Government has indicated more approvals are on the way as it works toward its 2035 renewable energy target and the national net zero goal by 2050.
