News

Co-developer OX2 has applied for a variation to the approved Riverland Solar Farm and BESS project to be located in Stuart, in the South Australian Riverland region.

Previous co-developers Lyon Group and Magnetar received approvals for “a 330 MW solar farm, with 400 MWh of battery storage, located approximately 10km east of the River Murray township of Morgan” in November 2017. The original approved project layout is shown in the image.

Approvals included construction of a 132kV sub-station to facilitate grid connection to the existing North West Bend to Monash 132kV transmission line.

Unfortunately Lyon Group went into liquidation in 2019, and minority investor Magnetar found a new co-developer in ESCO Pacific in 2020.

However the project was delayed due to the timing of completion of the Project Energy Connect interconnector and Covid-19, and approval extensions were granted by the state government.

In April 2023 ESCO Pacific was acquired by OX2, which is now seeking to modify the transmission line connection point, “changing from connection via the 2x 132kV North West Bend–Monash lines to the Robertstown–Buronga 330kV Project Energy Connect (PEC) line traversing the Project Site”.

In addition, to “make the project commercially feasible at the new 330kV point of connection, an increase in the Stage 1 BESS capacity to 300MW/1200MWh (4-hour duration)” is being sought by OX2.

A new connection point would also involve moving the proposed site for the BESS Stage 1 from that originally approved.

Currently the extension of time requires construction of the Stage 1 – BESS and associated infrastructure to start by 30 June 2028, with construction of the solar farm to start 12 months later.

Riverland Solar Farm and BESS co-developer Magnetar Solar Australia is a subsidiary of a US headquartered alternative investment firm with more than $12.4bil of assets under management.