The New England Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) has a proposed capacity of eight gigawatts of generation. The REZ is to be located in the New England region, centred around Armidale.
The scope of works for each stage of the network expansion is yet to be identified.
Key Dates
| Jun 2021 | ROIs for the development of projects in the REZ opened. |
| Jul 2021 | ROIs for the development of projects in the REZ closed. |
| Sep 2022 | EOIs for generator and storage projects in the REZ opened. |
| Oct 2022 | EOIs for generator and storage projects in the REZ closed. |
| Jul 2030 | Expected construction commencement of projects in the REZ. |
| Jul 2036 | Expected construction completion of projects in the REZ. |
Funding contributions
| Federal Government | |
| NSW Government | |
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The Federal Government's contribution comes through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) to TransGrid to support a $3.5 million feasibility study into the potential development of new transmission capacity. |
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PROJECT HISTORY
| Nov 2019 | The REZ was outlined in the NSW Government's 2019 Electricity Strategy, identifying its proximity to the existing interconnector between NSW and Queensland, numerous potential pumped hydro sites and significant wind resources as key factors determining the REZ's location. |
| Jul 2020 | The NSW Government announced it will proceed with the REZ and in its 2020 Integrated System Plan, AEMO identified New England REZ network expansion as a critical project. |
| Jun 2021 | The NSW Government commenced a Registration of Interest process for existing and proposed generation, storage and network infrastructure projects in the New England region to inform the next stage of design, closing 23 July. |
| Aug 2021 | The NSW Government announced 80 ROIs were received, totaling 34 gigawatts of potential renewable energy projects. The first auction for renewable energy projects across the NSW REZs is expected in 2022. |
| Sep 2022 | EnergyCo opened an Expression of Interest to identify and select generator and storage projects for the New England REZ, closing on 4 October. |
| Aug 2023 | EnergyCo opened a Request for Tender for a Site Management Services provider, closing 18 September. |
| Mar 2024 | Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) opened a Request for Tender for financial advisory services to assist with the procurement of a Network Operator, closing on 4 April. |
| Mar 2024 | Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) opened a Request for Tender for financial advisory services to assist with with the procurement of a Land Survey Advisor, closing on 22 April. |
| Dec 2024 | The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo) released its inaugural Corporate Strategy, which included a goal to have the first stage of the New England REZ under construction by 2030. |
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Unconfirmed |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
