A $3.2 billion NSW government electricity contract will help foster the spread of renewable energy, including the construction of a large new battery in the state’s Riverina region.
The 10-year contract awarded to Shell Energy and Edify Energy will result in a 100-megawatt battery being built alongside Edify’s Darlington Point Solar Farm, which began operations earlier this year.
That solar plant, with almost 1 million panels, has enough power to supply 115,000 households and avoid more than 150,000 tonnes of carbon-dioxide emissions annually.
Energy and Environment Minister Matt Kean said the deal provided NSW “great value for money and electricity security” and would encourage more large-scale renewable energy projects.
“The NSW government is the second-biggest energy customer in the state, and we are using our purchasing power to leverage new dispatchable capacity to help power our schools, hospitals, traffic lights and tunnels,” Mr Kean said.