Six firming capacity projects totaling 1,075 MW have been chosen in New South Wales through the Australian government's Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS), designed to support the development of new renewable dispatchable capacity as part of the nation's net-zero journey.
The announcement, made on Wednesday, revealed the winning projects from an oversubscribed tender with a 930-MW target. The combined energy infrastructure investment for these projects amounts to AUD 1.8 billion (USD 1.18bn/EUR 1.08bn), and they are slated to be operational by December 2025.
Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, emphasized the significance of the government's commitment to delivering a cleaner and more cost-effective grid for New South Wales. He noted that the selected projects address the challenge of replacing 4 GW of dispatchable power that left the grid over the past decade, with only 1 GW being replaced.
The chosen projects are expected to provide grid capacity equivalent to 8% of the total summer peak demand in New South Wales for the year 2022/2023, with construction estimated to create around 400 jobs. The Capacity Investment Scheme, initially covering Victoria and South Australia, expanded to include New South Wales, with the targeted capacity increasing from the original 380 MW this summer. This initiative aligns with Australia's broader efforts to enhance its renewable energy capacity and accelerate the transition to a cleaner energy landscape.
