Search

Qld's Blue Grass Solar Farm set to expand with new BESS

We are an online community created around a smart and easy to access information hub which is focused on providing proven global and local insights about sustainability

27 Oct, 2024

This post was originally published on Sustainability Matters

X-ELIO, a Brookfield-owned company specialising in the development of renewable energy projects, recently announced a plan to expand its Blue Grass Solar Farm, located in Queensland’s Western Downs. The farm is one of several of the company’s global initiatives, which include projects in Spain, Italy, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East and Japan.

X-ELIO will add a 148 MW battery energy storage system (BESS) to Blue Grass, which will be constructed in two stages.

In the first stage, which is expected to reach mechanical completion by Q3 2025, a 60 MW BESS will be developed. The second stage aims to deliver an 88 MW BESS by Q3 2026. This development will make Blue Grass X-ELIO’s first hybrid solar and storage project in Australia.

Officially inaugurated in November 2022, Blue Grass Solar Farm has a capacity of 200 MW and generates 420 GWh of green energy annually. Originally developed to support Queensland’s Renewable Energy Target (QRET), the farm forms part of the Queensland Government’s plan to generate 70% of its energy needs from renewable sources by 2032 and 80% by 2035, as outlined in the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.

The addition of BESS technology, achieved through X-ELIO’s partnership with Ingeteam and Narada, will enhance the solar farm’s existing infrastructure, allowing it to deploy grid-forming battery inverters and transforming it into a hybrid power source capable of contributing to the grid.

The battery systems will allow the solar farm to store excess energy generated during peak solar hours and release it when demand is high or when solar generation is lower, enhancing the area’s energy reliability and grid stability.

“Following our 60 MW BESS project in the US and our entry into the German battery company ECO STOR, we are now continuing to implement our storage strategy in Australia,” said Mirko Molinari, CCO at X-ELIO.

“This project will support grid resiliency in Queensland and enhance our solar farm’s resilience to price volatility. We are excited about the prospects of BESS in Australia and believe its deployment greatly supports grids with high renewables penetration.”

Image courtesy of X-ELIO.

Pass over the stars to rate this post. Your opinion is always welcome.
[Total: 0 Average: 0]

You may also like…

‘The Science Is What Sets Us Apart’: How the Rodale Institute Has Spent 77 Years Innovating Regenerative Organic Agriculture

‘The Science Is What Sets Us Apart’: How the Rodale Institute Has Spent 77 Years Innovating Regenerative Organic Agriculture

Founded in 1947 by J.I. Rodale, Rodale Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to helping the regenerative organic agriculture movement grow through research, education and farmer training. In his study of regenerative organic farming, Rodale — who came up with the term “organic” — studied Indigenous agricultural practices, including those of communities like the long-lived Hunza […]
The post ‘The Science Is What Sets Us Apart’: How the Rodale Institute Has Spent 77 Years Innovating Regenerative Organic Agriculture appeared first on EcoWatch.

Urban 'placemaking' focus for $85m recreation centre

Urban 'placemaking' focus for $85m recreation centre

Sydney developer Billbergia Group has announced the Rhodes Recreation Centre — an $85 million, 9200 m2 multi-purpose community hub in Sydney’s Inner West.

Located at 6 Gauthorpe St and designed by architectural firm SJB, the recreation centre is in a three-level podium building beneath two high-rise residential towers — the 48-level Peake and 43-level Oasis. Together, they form stage two of the developer’s Rhodes Central Masterplan — a $3 billion, three-stage town centre project.

The Rhodes Recreation Centre was delivered under a $97 million Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA) between the developer and City of Canada Bay Council. It will be handed over to council next month and is set to open later this year. Once complete, the masterplan will have delivered 25,000 m2 of dedicated public amenity, including retail, community facilities and open space.

With the NSW Government’s housing reforms set to address the housing shortage, the recreation centre will reflect the importance of ‘placemaking’ — a collaborative approach to designing and managing public spaces that enhances community wellbeing and fosters connections between people and their environment — in planning new urban communities.

It also presents a pathway for public and private sectors to collaborate and create social infrastructure while increasing housing supply in fast-growing suburbs.

The recreation centre is set to add vibrancy and pedestrian activity to the local streetscape, providing a diverse range of facilities that enhance the livability of the evolving suburb. These community amenities include two full-sized indoor sports courts, a gymnastics centre, a 70-place childcare centre, a community lounge, allied health services, and bookable spaces for local groups and events. It also provides a gym with cardio equipment, weights, group fitness rooms, a creche and an outdoor terrace, alongside a range of sustainability features.

Facilities at the Rhodes Recreation Centre. Images supplied.

“Rhodes Recreation Centre is the community heart of our high-density TOD development, bringing to life Billbergia’s vision for a future-focused, livable urban environment that prioritises amenity, not just density,” said Saul Moran, Development Director – Planning and Design at Billbergia.

The amenities within the two residential towers include a swimming pool, spa, sauna, children’s play area, library and theatre rooms. Pedestrian connections and through-site links provide access to Rhodes railway station and the Homebush Bay waterfront.

“The Rhodes Recreation Centre stands as a benchmark in successful public–private collaboration. Through a VPA with Canada Bay Council, we’ve created a pathway to unlock additional housing supply while delivering significant, lasting community infrastructure. It’s a clear demonstration of how thoughtful public and private partnerships can shape vibrant, livable neighbourhoods,” Moran said.

Located adjacent to Rhodes railway station, stage one of Billbergia’s Rhodes Central Masterplan was completed in 2021 and included the 13,000 m2 Rhodes Central Shopping Centre, with convenience retail, a Woolworths supermarket, medical facilities and the Bamboo Lane dining precinct.

Other previous projects include the 1.2 ha Phoenix Park in Rhodes, the $63 million Bennelong Bridge, the popular Baylink Shuttle service, the 3500 m2 Wentworth Point Community Centre and Library, and the Wentworth Point Pop-Up Town Square.

Billbergia’s ongoing focus on placemaking and social infrastructure also includes the $8.4 million delivery of a library at its mixed-tenure development, Arncliffe Central, in Sydney’s south. There is the potential for 75% of Arncliffe Central’s dwellings to be dedicated to social, affordable and essential worker rental housing, along with 3400 m2 allocated to childcare, convenience retail and cafes, and a 4000 m2 park with play space for both residents and the broader community.

Top image caption: The Rhodes Recreation Centre location with two planned residential towers, Peake and Oasis. Image supplied.

0 Comments