DP Energy expands Aussie hybrid renewables plan to 675 MW, adds storage

DP Energy Ireland Ltd will add another 300 MW of solar and 400 MW of energy storage capacity to its 375-MW hybrid wind and solar project in South Australia.

The first stage of the so-called Port Augusta Renewable Energy Park scheme will see the addition of around 220 MW of wind and 150 MW of photovoltaic (PV) capacity. The newly-announced 700 MW of solar and battery capacity will be installed during the second stage, the Irish company said on Thursday.

It also announced contracts with Denmark's Vestas Wind Systems A/S (CPH:VWS), which will supply turbines for the first phase of the development, and Australian engineering group Downer. The latter will take care of the PV component of the 375-MW complex, while Vestas will also be in charge of the control system that will integrate the output of the solar and wind power facilities.

Construction works are slated to begin in the second quarter of 2018.

The 375-MW complex is expected to generate 1 GWh of electricity per year, or enough to supply about 200,000 local homes, feeding electricity into the national power grid. Once completed, the Port Augusta facility will be the largest hybrid renewable power plant in Australia, DP Energy says.

DP Energy noted it has completed 13 renewable energy projects globally. It has been working on the Port Augusta project for several years.

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