Edify to build 200 MW solar farm close to coal-fired power station in Queensland

Australia's Edify Energy Pty Ltd has proposed building a 200-MW solar park with a four-hour battery storage facility next to a coal-fired power station in the state of Queensland.

The renewables developer has filed an application under the federal government’s EPBC Act, seeking a referral on whether the project will need to be approved under national environment laws, official documents showed on Friday.

To be located about seven km north-east of the town of Biloela, in the Shire of Banana, the Callide photovoltaic (PV) complex, to be equipped with panels mounted on single axis trackers, will be coupled with a 200-MW 800-MWh battery energy storage system (BESS). Once the solar park construction is completed, the site is planned to be used for sheep grazing.

As the solar-storage complex will be situated in proximity to the Callide Power Station it will benefit from maximised access to the grid, Edify noted. Its plan is to supply the site’s generation to the broader Banana Shire and Central Queensland region. The integrated lithium-ion BESS will enhance grid flexibility by storing excess power and discharging it during periods of peak demand.

The project was granted development approval by Banana Shire Council in October 2023.