The Thunderbolt Wind Farm comprises a 230-megawatt (MW) wind farm on properties to the north-west of the New England Highway.
Neoen has announced its intention to develop a second stage of the project, comprising 150 MW of wind generation across 25 turbines, located to the south-east of the New England Highway.
In December 2022, Neoen withdrew plans for a 120 MW Solar Farm component, citing concerns within the large-scale solar market.
Key Dates
| Dec 2020 | Project Announcement |
Financing
|
The project is being developed and financed by Neoen. |
Procurement
| Procuring Agency: | Neoen |
PROJECT HISTORY
| Nov 2020 | Neoen announced the Thunderbolt Energy Hub, submitting a Scoping Report to the NSW Government requesting the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the project. The Scoping Report detailed the project delivered over two stages: Stage One included a 120-MW solar farm and 400-MW BESS, and Stage Two included a 380-MW wind farm. |
| Dec 2020 | The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment issued the Secretary's Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs) for the preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment. |
| Oct 2021 | Neoen proposed to deliver the project in two stages. Stage One will include properties to the north-west of the New England Highway. The size of Stage One is proposed to be 192 MW of wind energy, equivalent to 32 wind turbines. Stage Two is proposed to include properties to the south-east of the New England Highway. The size of Stage Two is proposed to be 150 MW of wind energy, equivalent to 25 wind turbines and include the 120 MW solar farm. |
| Nov 2021 | The NSW Department of Planning, Industry and Environment accepted the project changes noting that the SEARs issued in December 2020 is sufficient for preparing an EIS for Stage One but stated that a separate Scoping Report and request for SEARs must be submitted for Stage Two. |
| Dec 2022 | Neoen withdrew plans for a 120-MW solar farm component of the Thunderbolt Energy Hub. Neoen cited uncertainty in the solar energy market. |
| May 2024 | NSW Department of Planning and Environment granted development consent to Stage One. |
| Dec 2024 | The project was selected as part of the Federal Government's first Capacity Investment Scheme Tender Round. The Federal Government will provide revenue underwriting for the project through a Capacity Investment Scheme Agreement. The scope of Stage One was also increase from 192 megawatts to 230 megawatts. |
Estimated Total Cost
(2024)
Sector
Energy
Procurement approach
Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) |
Location
New South Wales |
Resources
