Australia's 500MW Bungaban Solar and Battery Project Approved

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On September 28, the Bungaban solar and energy storage project in Queensland, Australia, completed its federal environmental assessment. The Australian government determined that the project constitutes a "non-controlled action" under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) and is not expected to have a significant impact on matters of national environmental significance, and therefore does not require further federal environmental approval processes. The project is being developed by a 50:50 joint venture between Squadron Energy and Windlab.

The project is located approximately 50 kilometers northeast of Wandoan in the Western Downs region of Queensland, and is planned to include a large-scale photovoltaic power station and a battery energy storage system. The disclosed plan includes 500MW of photovoltaic facilities and a 100MW/400MWh battery energy storage system, covering approximately 1,500 hectares, with the site previously used primarily for cattle grazing. The project obtained development approval from the Western Downs Regional Council in June 2025 and submitted its EPBC Act referral application in August 2026.

The Bungaban solar-plus-storage project is being advanced in parallel with the nearby 1.4GW Bungaban wind project, but the two are subject to separate planning approvals, grid connection arrangements, and financing arrangements. The developer plans to utilize transmission infrastructure currently under construction by Powerlink and to coordinate the construction schedules of the wind and solar-plus-storage projects. Construction of the Bungaban solar-plus-storage project is expected to begin in mid-2028, while the wind project is scheduled to enter the construction phase in 2027.

Currently, the Bungaban solar-plus-storage project has completed land agreements and grid connection consultations with Powerlink, and has begun market engagement with potential equipment suppliers and contractors. The developer expects the construction phase to create up to approximately 450 jobs.

The Bungaban wind project being developed alongside it obtained federal EPBC approval in September. The project has an installed capacity of up to 1.4GW and has been selected under Australia's Capacity Investment Scheme, with 80% of its generation already secured by Rio Tinto through a 25-year power purchase agreement for its alumina operations in the Gladstone region of Queensland