Jinko Solar Submits Proposal for 1440MWh Solar-Storage Project in New South Wales, Australia
Key Insights
Jinko Solar Australia has proposed a 133.76MW solar farm and a 360MW/1,440MWh battery energy storage system in New South Wales under federal environmental review.
The Garoo project, spanning 369 hectares, will connect to Australia's National Electricity Market and is part of a growing regional solar and storage development hub.
Construction for the battery energy storage system is anticipated to begin next year, with the entire facility expected to commence operations in 2028 for a 30-year lifespan.
Jinko Solar also has another significant solar-plus-storage project, Beebo, under application in Queensland, featuring a 600MW solar farm and 800MWh battery.
Jinko Solar Australia has submitted a comprehensive proposal for a significant solar-plus-storage project in New South Wales, signaling a major advancement in Australia’s renewable energy landscape. The initiative, filed under the federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC), encompasses a 133.76 MW solar farm paired with a substantial 360 MW / 1,440 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
Located in the rural area of Garoo, positioned east of the New England Highway, the project is slated to occupy 369 hectares. This site is strategically situated within an expanding hub for solar and storage developments, neighboring other large-scale projects such as Total Eren’s 600 MWh Middlebrook facility and Venn Energy’s 1,200 MWh Lambruk project, fostering a concentrated renewable energy zone.
The Garoo solar-plus-storage project is designed to integrate directly into Australia's National Electricity Market (NEM), which serves the eastern and southern coastal regions, including Tasmania. This connection is crucial for enhancing grid stability and reliability by dispatching stored renewable energy during peak demand or when solar generation is low. Pending the necessary development approvals, construction of the BESS component is projected to commence next year, with an estimated build time of 18 months. The entire facility is targeted to begin commercial operations in 2028, with a planned operational lifespan extending over 30 years.
This New South Wales proposal follows Jinko Solar’s earlier EPBC application last year for the Beebo project in Queensland. The Beebo initiative, located southwest of Inglewood in southern Queensland, outlines a 600 MW solar farm complemented by a 400 MW / 800 MWh (2-hour duration) battery storage system. These concurrent large-scale applications underscore Jinko Solar’s strategic commitment to expanding its integrated renewable energy portfolio across key Australian states, contributing significantly to the nation's energy transition goals and grid modernization efforts.