Neoen Receives Approval for Another Wind and Battery Plant in North Queensland

Neoen, a French renewable energy developer, has been granted approval for another major wind farm and battery storage project. The project will be installed near Cairns in north Queensland.
The state government has revealed the planning approval for the $300 million Kaban renewable energy hub, located 80 kilometres southwest of Cairns. The project will integrate a 160 megawatts wind farm with supporting infrastructure that includes battery storage.
According to a report posted on the website of RenewEconomy, the project will be the third renewable energy hub that combines renewable and storage to be installed in Australia. In December 2017, it switched on the 100MW/129MWh Tesla big battery situated next to the 309MW Hornsdale wind farm in South Australia.
The construction for the Bulgana renewable energy hub in Victoria has also begun. It will integrate a 192MW wind farm and another Tesla battery, 20MW/34MWh in order to deliver 100 percent renewable energy to Australia’s largest vegetable greenhouse.
The report also mentioned that the Kaban renewable energy hub is now included in the growing list of projects in north Queensland combining wind, solar, and storage. Some of the projects include the Kennedy project (wind, solar, and battery), Kinston (solar and pumped hydro), and Lakeland (solar and battery).
State Planning Minister Cameron Dick said the project would provide 150 construction jobs. “The Queensland Government welcomes private sector investment of this kind in support of the state’s renewable energy policy,” he added.
Meanwhile, according to State Energy Minister Anthony Lynham, the new wind farm would complement over two dozen large-scale projects presently committed or being established across the state.
Lynham added, “When complete, these projects will more than double Queensland’s renewable energy output and produce enough electricity to power close to one million homes. Our 50 percent renewable energy generation target by 2030 has boosted the level of renewable energy investment, bringing significant projects to regions right across the state.”
Read the full report here.