NSW Premier Chris Minns has today joined Octopus Australia to officially break ground on the $900 million Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery project, marking a major milestone for regional infrastructure and energy security in New South Wales.
The project combines a 300MW solar farm with a 243MW / 486MWh battery, capturing energy during the day and dispatching it into the evening peak when demand is highest. By pairing solar generation with storage, it produces firmed renewable electricity that gives customers price certainty and confidence in delivery. This is a bankable energy product designed to strengthen grid reliability and provide clean, dispatchable supply as ageing coal stations retire.
Located in Bungendore, NSW, the site will connect via a new substation into the transmission backbone between Sydney and Canberra. The project will support up to 300 full-time equivalent jobs at peak construction, with approximately half expected to be sourced from the local Bungendore and Monaro regions.
NSW Premier Chris Minns said:
““This is the kind of project New South Wales needs as we replace ageing energy infrastructure. We need to keep the lights on, keep costs as low as possible, and to keep regional communities with us along the way.
“The Blind Creek project is creating local jobs, and it will help deliver the replacement energy that households and businesses rely on.”
Global capital is lining up behind this project. Investment from Australian superannuation funds Hostplus and Rest, the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Westpac Private Bank and Dutch pension giant APG sends a powerful signal of confidence in Octopus Australia’s strategy and in New South Wales as a place to invest.
Octopus Australia CEO Sam Reynolds said:
“This project shows what happens when global capital, Australian super and regional farming families align under stable government policy. You get real infrastructure, real clean electricity and real jobs.”
“Octopus Australia’s strategy is designed precisely for this, to align long term capital with regional communities and deliver bankable projects.”
Premier Chris Minns was joined at the sod-turn ceremony by Minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education and Member for Monaro Steve Whan, highlighting the state’s commitment to securing long-term regional capability.
Blind Creek was initiated in partnership with local sheep farmers seeking to integrate agriculture with energy production as a means to future-proof their property, and local community. The solar farm has specifically been designed to allow animal production to continue on the land, as it has for 155 years, with a boost in grazing capability also expected as a result of protection from winds, partial shading, condensation and organic soil improvements coming from the project.
Construction is being led by EPC Contractor GRS, with Wärtsilä Energy Storage supplying the battery energy storage system (BESS) and the project is due to be fully operational in 2028.
About Octopus Australia
Octopus Australia is an energy fund manager and developer harnessing capital and expertise to accelerate the energy transition, with a portfolio and pipeline of over $16 billion across wind, solar and battery storage projects.
Octopus Australia is more than just an energy infrastructure player: we take an AI data and technology driven approach to constructing an energy portfolio where we ‘stack’ wind, solar and large batteries into the one energy generation portfolio.
The term “stacking” refers to the integration of multiple renewable energy sources along with batteries to create a reliable, efficient and sustainable generation system.
The complementary energy generation profiles of wind, solar and battery storage provide a supply of energy that competes with baseload coal and gas in Australia. Stacking these energy profiles means the portfolio can deliver energy to customers when they need it compared to traditional renewables, increasing offtake price premiums and thereby investor returns.
Our stacked portfolio of assets has other benefits such as cost synergies and a streamlined permitting process, especially in Australia where there are favourable regulatory framework and political settings.
Our team of over 65 highly skilled professionals across Melbourne and Sydney have a unique blend of skills and deep industry expertise across investment, energy markets, development, construction, grid, engineering, stakeholder and community engagement, and legal. This allows us to manage projects across their entire lifecycle and to construct and operate a large integrated energy portfolio.
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