Neoen secures initial grid connection for 412-MW wind farm in S Australia

France’s Neoen SA (EPA:NEOEN) has inked a 30-year deal with Aussie power distributor ElectraNet for the grid connection of initial capacity from its AUD-3-billion (USD 2.03bn/EUR 1.94bn) Goyder Renewables Zone project in South Australia.

The transmission connection agreement covers about half of the capacity of the huge project’s first phase, the 412-MW Goyder South Stage 1 wind farm. The deal is tied to 209 MW of generation capacity, ElectaNet said on Friday.

The Goyder Renewables Zone project envisages the phased installation of up to 1,200 MW of wind, 600 MW of solar and 900 MW/1,800 MWh of energy storage capacity in South Australia's Mid North region, around 100 kilometres north-east of Adelaide. Neoen launched the construction of the 412-MW Stage 1 wind farm at the end of August.

A grid-connection agreement for the initial wind farm development’s second phase is due to be signed in the next few months, ElectraNet said. The future plant will be connected to its existing Robertstown substation. Grid-connection facilities are currently being built, with work seen to be completed in early-mid 2023.

The Goyder South Stage 1 wind farm is scheduled to go online in 2024. To be equipped with 75 GE 5.5-158 Cypress platform turbines, it already has a 100-MW power purchase agreement (PPA) in place with the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Aussie electricity retailer Flow Power will procure electricity from a 40-MW portion of the capacity.

(AUD 1.0 = USD 0.675/EUR 0.648)

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