Category: Renewable Electricity

16 April, 2025

A NSW parliamentary inquiry has recommended sweeping reforms to laws governing former mining land, potentially opening up tourism, manufacturing and renewable energy development opportunities for the Wollondilly Shire.

The final report of the Beneficial and Productive Post-Mining Land Use Inquiry was tabled in NSW Parliament this week and it includes a key recommendation to remove bureaucratic obstacles to enable former mining land to be repurposed for the next generation of industry, including renewable energy projects.

One of the main recommendations is directly relevant to the Wollondilly Shire and its history of coal mining: “That the government conduct a comprehensive program of reform of current land uses and opportunities for future uses across regions experiencing mining and energy transition.”

The Inquiry committee, made up of MPs from the government, opposition and minor parties, urged the NSW Government to consider former mining land ideal “for housing, environmental, educational tourism, sport, infrastructure, advanced manufacturing and renewable energy purposes.”

ZEN Energy and the SADA Dunbier Group, partners in the proposed Western Sydney Pumped Hydro project at the former Wollondilly Coal Washery site at Nattai, gave evidence at an Inquiry hearing in late 2024 and presented the project as case study of the second life benefits of former mining land.

Wollondilly Council made a submission to the Inquiry and expressed its excitement about the project’s potential to bring ‘significant benefits’ and investment into the local Wollondilly community, including 1,500 construction jobs, and 80 ongoing jobs. The Council further noted the benefits of such initiatives in seeking to achieve a more sustainable energy future:

“Projects like the [Western Sydney Pumped Hydro Project] demonstrate the potential for government and private partnerships and investment into projects that deliver community benefit and seek to achieve a more sustainable future for communities via renewable technologies.”

All Inquiry members also agreed to a key recommendation that the NSW Government pursue “opportunities to encourage innovative post-mining land uses including: (i) the planning and implementation of essential supporting infrastructure for future site use and; (ii) the development of solar farms, pumped hydro, and other clean energy industries.”

The Inquiry report and its 13 recommendations will now be reviewed by the NSW Government, and it will announce its commitments to act within six months.

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au

11 April, 2025

ZEN Energy has secured one of Australia’s largest multi-state Electricity Retail Agreements (ERA)[1] with industrial gas supplier BOC Australia that will replace more than 45 per cent of its grid power use in Queensland, NSW and Victoria with solar energy across the term of the agreement.

Through an innovative tri-party deal with ACEN Australia, the 10-year ERA involves supplying BOC’s energy needs on the eastern seaboard up to 2035. The deal is supported by a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) that will see ZEN purchase approximately 23 per cent of the solar generation from ACEN’s 400 MW New England (Stage 1) Solar project in NSW.

The new agreement enables BOC Australia to reduce its current carbon emissions by more than 40 per cent by 2035. BOC is a subsidiary of industrial gases and engineering company Linde, which has a target to reduce its global emissions 35 per cent by 2035.​

“This agreement supports Linde’s global target to reduce its Scope 2 emissions by gradually increasing our use of renewable energy.

In addition to lowering BOC’s emissions in Australia, it will also help our customers become more efficient and decarbonise their operations by supplying industrial gases which have a lower carbon intensity at a competitive price.” Theo Martin, BOC Australia

“This is the transition to renewable energy in action and at scale. Such big steps forward for industry sustainability and emissions reduction would not be possible unless a genuine partnership between BOC, ACEN Australia and ZEN was involved.

“BOC is ZEN’s first global customer. This demonstrates great confidence in our business model and our strategy. ZEN was the first energy company to commit to science-based targets to reduce carbon emissions, and this agreement is proof positive that BOC is firmly of the same mind and mission.” Anthony Garnaut, ZEN Energy CEO

“This agreement is another milestone for ACEN Australia’s New England Solar project which stands as a major contributor to the National Electricity Market (NEM) and includes the first large-scale battery storage project to be built in New England.”

“We are excited by this offtake with ZEN Energy, enabling us to bring more renewable energy projects to life and clean electricity for Australian homes and businesses while reducing the need for electricity that would otherwise be sourced from generators with higher emissions intensity.” David Pollington, ACEN Australia Managing Director

[1] “(2024) the largest multi-state retailer-intermediated PPA transaction in the NEM so far, the third stage of the QIC & IFM buyers group initiative at 311GWh p.a.”

Media enquiries: Paul Sheridan, 0410 516 656, paul.sheridan@zenenergy.com.au.