Federal Approval for Hybrid Solar and Battery Facility in Western Australia
Plans for a hybrid solar and battery facility, featuring up to eight hours of energy storage and ten electric vehicle charging bays, have received the green light from federal authorities in south-western Western Australia.
The project, spearheaded by Tonic Group—an emerging player in the renewable energy sector—was recently subject to federal environmental assessment under the EPBC Act. Just a month after its referral, the project was approved without the need for further authorisation.
Details of the Solar and Battery Energy Storage System
Although the proposed solar and battery energy storage system (BESS) is relatively modest by contemporary benchmarks, with capacities of 75 megawatts (MW) for solar and 55 MW for storage, it’s designed to offer up to eight hours of energy storage, translating to 440 megawatt-hours (MWh).
Documentations concerning the project indicate that the Binningup Solar Facility will be located in the Shire of Harvey, approximately 130 km south of Perth. This facility has been identified as a state priority project aimed at bolstering strategic and heavy industries in WA’s south-west region.
Innovative Features and Partnerships
The inclusion of ten electric vehicle charging bays adds an intriguing element to the project. Last year, WA Business News referred to the initiative as a solar farm that would not only support industrial operations but would also serve as the state’s pioneering EV service station.
Additionally, the project collaborates with Green Steel of WA, which revealed on LinkedIn that it had signed a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Term Sheet with Tonic Renewables. This agreement will provide renewable energy for a projected recycled steel mill in Collie.
According to their LinkedIn announcement, “This partnership secures a pathway for up to 134,000 MWh annually of clean energy from Tonic’s Binningup Solar and Battery facility — a crucial advancement in making Australia’s first new steel mill in over 30 years one of the cleanest and most efficient.”
Significantly, both Tonic and Green Steel are local WA companies, collaborating to illustrate how synergies between renewable energy and manufacturing can promote green industries, create jobs, and provide sustainable energy solutions within Western Australia.
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