Ark Energy wins approval for 435 MW solar and storage project in Australia

Australia’s New South Wales government has approved Ark Energy’s AUD 1.2 billion (US$780 million) hybrid project combining 435 MW of solar generation with a 475 MW/2,200 MWh battery system in the Northern Rivers region, 255 km south of Brisbane and 728 km north of Sydney, Australia.

In development since 2019, the hybrid project consists of a solar farm and a long-duration Lithium-iron phosphate BESS. Queensland-based renewable energy company Ark Energy, a subsidiary of Korea Zinc and affiliated with the Sun Metals Zinc Refinery, has secured planning approval from the New South Wales (NSW) Government for the 435 MW solar component of its Richmond Valley hybrid project. The solar facility will be co-located with a 475 MW/2,200 MWh long-duration lithium-iron phosphate battery energy storage system (BESS), designed to provide up to eight hours of storage capacity.

Ark Energy has entered into an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement with Elecnor Australia, a leading Spain-based engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) firm, to carry out initial works for the Richmond Valley project. These early activities include detailed engineering design and the balance of plant design for the BESS.