Federal Approval Granted for Sundown Solar and Battery Project in NSW
The Sundown solar and battery initiative, located in the New England area of New South Wales, has taken a significant step forward towards construction after receiving federal approval in compliance with the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act.
This project, situated at Spring Mountain—approximately 30 kilometres east of Inverell and within the New England renewable energy zone (REZ)—will feature 350 megawatts (MW) of solar power in addition to a 150 MW battery with a four-hour capacity.
Development Milestones
Recurrent Energy, a subsidiary of Canadian Solar, obtained state development approval from the NSW Independent Planning Commission back in August. The EPBC approval was finalised on October 23 and remains valid until the end of 2066. This approval mandates Recurrent to purchase and retire biodiversity offsets to mitigate wildlife impacts resulting from the clearing and construction activities associated with the project.
Additionally, Recurrent is required to create a biodiversity management plan that must be approved by the NSW Planning Secretary and made available online.
Government Oversight
Should the NSW Minister have concerns regarding the biodiversity management plan, the government has the authority to direct the approval holder to implement necessary amendments to the plan, as outlined in the EPBC approval documentation.
Renew Economy has reached out to Recurrent to inquire if there are any remaining obstacles, such as finalising a connection to the power grid.
Smooth Approval Process
In previous stages of approval, the project achieved final clearance from the NSW Independent Planning Commission (IPC) in a record two months. Interestingly, the IPC cancelled a public hearing after receiving a mere single registration for speaking rights from a council representative already in discussions with the IPC; none of the 133 objectors attended the hearing.
The IPC did receive 19 submissions, with a roughly even split between support and objections, including concerns from a neighbour regarding dust pollution.
