EDF Advances Environmental Review of 420 MW Wind Project in Australia

en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 6, EDF Power Solutions Australia, a subsidiary of Électricité de France, submitted the Balala Wind Farm and Battery Energy Storage Project in New South Wales, Australia, for federal environmental assessment. The project is planned to include up to 60 wind turbines with a total installed capacity of 420 MW, paired with a 200 MW/800 MWh battery energy storage system. The project has entered the referral review and public comment process under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act).

The Balala project is located approximately 10 kilometers west of Uralla in New South Wales, within the New England Renewable Energy Zone. The project area covers approximately 9,765 hectares across 11 freehold land parcels, currently used primarily for sheep and cattle grazing, with scattered woodland and some contiguous woodland. The project development includes wind turbines, battery energy storage facilities, on-site roads, collector lines, and related electrical infrastructure.

The project is proposed to connect to the National Electricity Market via the existing Transgrid Line 86, a 330 kV transmission line connecting Armidale and Tamworth. The development plan also retains the option of connecting to the planned Central Hub grid infrastructure in the New England Renewable Energy Zone, with the specific grid connection scheme still subject to subsequent approvals and grid construction arrangements.

Australian federal environmental assessment documents identify bird and microbat collisions with turbines, vegetation clearing, habitat fragmentation, and wildlife injury from road traffic as key environmental impact matters. Threatened species and associated habitats are present within the project area, and the environmental review also addresses the potential impacts of wind turbine construction and operation on local ecosystems.

According to the construction plan submitted for the project, construction is expected to commence in 2030, with a construction period of approximately 30 months, and may be implemented in stages according to the development schedule.