- Australia’s first National Renewable Energy Priority List includes 6.3GW of storage and 16GW of renewable generation, streamlining approvals for 56 key projects.
- Notable projects include the 1,000MW Australian Renewable Energy Hub and the Darwin Battery Energy Storage System, supporting the AAPowerLink interconnector to Singapore.
The Australian government has added 16GW of new renewable energy generation capacity to its first National Renewable Energy Priority List. The list also features 6.3GW of energy storage capacity, including batteries and pumped hydro projects.
The federal government worked with states and territories to create this list to streamline regulatory planning and environmental approvals for priority projects. The list highlights 56 key projects across Australia, including 24 transmission projects and 32 energy generation and storage projects.
Seven of the 32 energy projects focus on solar PV, generating 4,130MW. These projects include co-located battery energy storage systems (BESS), which help optimise power plant performance.
The list features several major projects. One key project is the 1,000MW Australian Renewable Energy Hub (AREH) in Western Australia, which is developing a hybrid wind and solar power plant. Another major project is the Darwin Battery Energy Storage System (DBESS), which will support SunCable’s Australia-Asia PowerLink (AAPowerLink) project.
AAPowerLink will install up to 20GW of solar capacity and as much as 42GWh of energy storage. The project will connect Australia’s Northern Territory to Singapore with a 4,300km subsea cable and supply power to Darwin and surrounding regions.
The government stated, “Projects in the Priority List follow a ‘faster to yes, faster to no’ approach.” This means the government will provide extra support for regulatory and environmental approvals. However, all projects must still meet legal and environmental requirements.
Officials plan to boost regulatory capacity to speed up project assessments. The government announced, “We are increasing engagement and guidance to help identify and solve potential issues early.” This initiative aims to reduce delays in project timelines.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act will apply to all projects. The government confirmed, “Statutory timeframes under the EPBC Act remain in place, reducing delays in project reviews.”
A recent analysis by Rystad Energy shows that Australia’s solar PV and wind assets generated 4.5GWh of energy, a 14% increase from last year’s 3.9GWh. New South Wales led in production, generating 1,324GWh, which included 813GWh from utility-scale solar PV and 511GWh from wind.
In February, renewable energy reached 44% of the National Electricity Market’s (NEM) mix, the highest percentage ever recorded for the month. In Western Australia’s Wholesale Electricity Market (WEM), renewables comprised 42% of the energy mix, an increase from last year’s 37%.
The 40MW Greenough River solar PV plant in Western Australia achieved the best capacity factor in the country. Bright Energy Investments owns the project, a joint venture between DIF Capital Partners, superannuation fund Cbus, and state-owned Synergy.
This renewable energy expansion highlights Australia’s commitment to clean energy growth. The country aims to accelerate its transition toward a more sustainable future by streamlining approvals and boosting regulatory support.