en.Wedoany.com Reported - The Victorian government has approved four renewable energy projects through its "Development Facilitation Program," with a combined battery energy storage capacity of 1.64 GW. Launched in 2024, the program aims to accelerate the planning approval process for clean energy projects.
The approved projects include a wind-battery hybrid development and three grid-scale battery energy storage systems. Among them, the Chivers Road battery energy storage system proposed by infrastructure developer Pacific Partnerships has a capacity of 100 MW and a maximum storage capacity of 400 MWh. This A$130 million (approximately US$89.7 million) battery will be built within the site of Pacific Partnerships' Glenrowan Solar Farm, located near the namesake town in northern Victoria.
Pacific Partnerships stated that this new battery energy storage system can power 34,500 homes, storing excess solar generation during off-peak hours and releasing it during evening peak demand. The company said the system is designed to enhance the solar farm's ability to store and dispatch renewable energy, support grid stability, and maximize the benefits of solar power generation.
Another approved project is TagEnergy's Morwell Battery project in the Latrobe Valley, costing A$1.3 billion. TagEnergy acquired the project from Australian developer Ace Power in mid-2025. The project proposes a 620 MW/2,480 MWh battery system, but the ministerial permit approves a capacity of up to 1,000 MW/4,000 MWh. The Morwell Battery is expected to reach financial close by the end of 2027, with construction commencing shortly thereafter, and is anticipated to be operational by the end of 2029.
This round of planning approvals also includes the Nine Mile Energy Park, developed by Pacific Green Technologies in collaboration with Green Transition Energy near Geelong. The A$600 million project comprises two co-located batteries: a 250 MW/500 MWh energy storage system and a 250 MW/1,000 MWh battery system. Construction is scheduled to begin in early 2027, with a target of becoming operational by the end of 2028.
The fourth project to receive planning approval is Synergy Wind's Jelliondale Wind Farm in southeastern Victoria, costing A$388 million. The project will include an 80 MW wind farm paired with a 40 MW battery energy storage system.
The state government stated that the approval of these four projects means that since the program was expanded to cover renewable energy projects in 2024, more than 30 renewable energy projects with a total value exceeding A$11 billion have been approved through the DFP. These projects have thus received accelerated approval pathways, with planning panel reviews and third-party appeal stages eliminated.
Victorian Planning Minister Sonya Kilkenny stated that these reforms aim to prevent important projects from being delayed for years in the approval process. The government estimates that before the program's expansion, more than one-fifth of renewable energy project applications ended up being delayed at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, with some cases seeing construction timelines extended by two years. Kilkenny said the government is making the right decisions faster so that Victorians can benefit from cheaper renewable energy sooner.
