ACEN starts permitting for 100-MW solar project with storage in NSW

Philippine group Ayala’s ACEN Corp (PSE:ACEN) has kicked off the planning approval process for a 100-MW solar project with 80 MW of battery storage proposed in the Aussie state of New South Wales.

The company has filed a scoping report with the state’s Department of Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) as a first step of all permitting procedures. The scheme will be assessed as a State Significant Development.

Following the review, DPHI will issue its Secretary’s Environmental Assessment Requirements (SEARs), which will set out issues that should be addressed in the project's environmental impact statement (EIS).

Acen said it expects to submit the EIS early next year, pending receipt of SEARS.

The Comma solar park is planned to be installed within the locality of Bunyan, in the region of Snowy Monaro, and is seen to generate electricity for about 45,000 average homes in Australia. The plant’s integrated battery will enable energy to be stored and released during periods of increased demand, offering between two and four hours of discharge capacity.

In addition to solar power production, the site will be used for sheep grazing. According to the scoping report, the developer aims to launch construction in 2027 and bring the complex online by the last quarter of 2028.