Construction has started on what claims to be Australia’s largest hybrid solar and battery energy storage facility.
The New England Solar Farm comprises a 720MW hybrid solar and battery project across two sections of land near Uralla in New South Wales (NSW). It is being developed by UPC\AC Australia – a joint venture between UPC Renewables and AC Energy, a subsidiary of the Ayala Corporation in the Philippines.
The project will be brought to life in two stages. In the first stage, engineering procurement and construction (EPC) partner Green Light Contractors, a subsidiary of Spanish solar company Elecnor, will build 400MW of solar capacity, a substation and a 50MW/50MWh battery energy storage system. This stage is expected to be completed in early 2023, after which Green Light will add a further 320MW of solar capacity, and extend the battery capacity to 400MWh.
