Monash Energy Park
Monash Energy STORAGE AND SOLAR
Firm Power is proposing to develop a 200MW/400MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) and 40MW solar farm adjacent to the existing Electranet 132kV Monash Substation along Sturt Highway in Monash, South Australia, within Berri Barmera Council. The location is a few kilometres southwest of Renmark and close to the border between South Australia and Victoria.
Once operational, the Monash Energy Park will provide a range of electricity and power market services – supporting Firm Power’s mission to power the clean energy transition.
DEVELOPMENT STATUS
The Monash Energy Park is currently at an early stage of development with land secured and the initial phases of planning and grid connection underway. The development phase of the Project is expected to complete in early 2028.
SITE
The Project site is within rural, agricultural land and serviced by an established roadway facilitating easy access.
PLANNING
The proposed Monash Energy Park will require a development application to be prepared and lodged to the State Commission Assessment Panel with referral to Berri Barmera Council. As part of its stakeholder engagement, Firm Power intends to consult the community and gather feedback in preparation of the development application and environmental studies.
GRID
As part of the grid strategy, Firm Power will submit a connection application to Electranet, including system studies and models which cover the performance of the Project. Following review of the connection application by Electranet and AEMO it is expected that an Offer to Connect will be received along with the associated connection agreement. At this point in time, pre-connection enquiries have been made for the Project.
Construction & Operations
Once all necessary approvals, agreements and authorisations have been obtained, construction activities for the Monash Energy Park is able to commence. The construction of the site is expected to take up to 18 months and involves site preparation, delivery, installation, testing and commissioning stages.
Site preparation includes civil works to make it suitable for the equipment, such as earthworks, drainage and foundations. Following this, electrical equipment such as battery module enclosures, solar panels and trackers, inverters, transformers, switchgear and ancillary systems will be delivered to site, installed and ready for energisation. The last step in construction is testing and commissioning, where the BESS installation is validated and made ready for operation.
The Project will be designed to operate for greater than a 20-year useful life. Site activities will generally involve monitoring, testing and maintenance of equipment as well as receipt of deliveries, waste removal and other general site maintenance (such as care of groundcover). The facility will be monitored and controlled remotely with staff and contractors periodically onsite to perform supporting activities.
At the end of the project life, the site will either be reconditioned or remediated. This involves the removal of all above-ground infrastructure and any works necessary to restore the land to a safe, clean and stable state.
Community
The Monash Energy Park will bring new sustainable technology to the local area and create construction jobs, opportunities for local suppliers and ongoing project roles. Firm Power is interested in talking to members of the community who have an interest in energy storage or who would like to discuss education, provision of services or employment opportunities that may exist in the future.
If you have questions or concerns, or would simply like to learn about the project, you can contact our team directly by filling out the following form or calling 1300 521 328.