The Culcairn Solar Farm is a proposed solar farm to be located in the Riverina Region of NSW, approximately four kilometres south-west of Culcairn, 45 kilometres north of Albury and 70 kilometres south of Wagga Wagga in the Greater Hume local government area.
The site will be developed by Neoen and will comprise solar generation capacity of 440 megawatts (MW). The site also includes the option to incorporate a 100 MW battery at a future date.
The site connects to the National Electricity Market via TransGrid’s 330 kilovolt transmission line already on site.
Key Dates
| 2018 | Project Announcement |
| Mar 2021 | Planning Approval Granted |
| Dec 2023 | Construction Commencement |
| 2026 | Expected Construction Completion |
Financing
| Equity Finance: | Neoen |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Neoen |
| Successful Tenderer: | Joint venture of Bouygues Construction Australia and Bouygues Energies & Services Australia |
PROJECT HISTORY
| 2018 | Project announced. |
| Nov 2019 | NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment inspected the site, consulted with the Council and relevant government agencies, met with neighbouring landowners and held a community information session. |
| Feb 2020 | Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Culcairn Solar Farm released by NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment. |
| Jan 2021 | NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment approved the site for a solar farm and deemed the project consistent with NSW policy. |
| Mar 2021 | Culcairn Solar Farm received planning approval from Independent Planning Commission. The IPC granted approval with several conditions. These were designed to minimise negative environmental impacts, set standards and performance measures for environmental performance, outline how the land will be returned to its current use, ensure regular reporting and monitoring, and accounting for the ongoing environmental management of the site. |
| Dec 2023 | The project was selected for an LTESA under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap. |
| Dec 2023 | Neoen Australia awarded an Engineering, Procurement and Construction contract for the project to a Bouygues Construction Australia and Bouygues Energies & Services Australia Joint Venture and construction commenced on the project. |
| Sep 2024 | Neoen and SmartestEnergy announced a four-year power purchase agreement for 50 per cent of the output from the solar farm. The agreement commences from late-2026, upon the projects scheduled completion. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2018)
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Traditional Procurement |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
