ZEN Energy is an energy company committed to limiting global warming to 1.5°C. Achieving this target will rely on an economy-wide transformation to renewable energy and this is not possible without more renewable energy projects that combine generation with battery storage like the Solar River project.
Located between Burra and Morgan in South Australia, the Solar River Project is a large-scale hybrid solar & battery project that will be capable of exporting approximately 256MW into the South Australian network. The solar farm will be nominally 230MWdc. Solar River’s DC-coupled battery configuration allows for expansion of battery capacity with no impacts on the performance of facility. ZEN is currently varying the development approval to allow for up to 8 hours of battery storage, but plans to proceed in the near term with approximately 2.5 hours (650MWh) of storage capacity. The project will connect to the ElectraNet network via the new Bundey substation.
The project has been issued a Development Approval (inclusive of the main project site, 275kV transmission line easement and connection infrastructure) and is now working through a minor variation to reflect our planned connection to Bundey substation in parallel with completing the final stages of a grid connection application process.
Construction is expected to commence in 2024 and is due to start supplying electricity to South Australian electricity users in 2026.
We acknowledge the First Peoples of the River Murray & the Ngadjuri people as the Traditional Custodians of the land, waters and knowledge related to the Solar River site. In our work, we recognise the importance of Country – not just as a place, but how it also maintains community, family, kin, lore and language. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
PROJECT TIMELINE
The project is currently in late-stage development, with:
- Customers signed and ZEN Energy portfolio growing
- Connection, Design, Delivery and Finance being finalised
Renewable energy from this project will delivered to the national electricity market in 2026.
We will provide a more detailed project delivery timeline once it has been finalised.
THE COMMUNITY
There are currently no published community updates.
Sign up to receive updates on the project’s progress using the form above. We will continue to provide information through this section of our website as it becomes available.
FAQS
ZEN Energy is committed to ensuring the projects we develop are built using industry-leading processes and equipment. ZEN is committed to using the best practice in recycling to ensure the least amount of landfill waste is accumulated, as the equipment is replaced throughout the lifespan of the powerplant. Domestic recycling operations capable of handling both PV modules and li-ion batteries exist now but are limited in capacity, but significant growth is forecast in response to the scale of demand for Li-ion storage and in response to the volume of PV modules coming to the end of their service life in future. Whilst occasional faulty PV module or battery cell replacements are anticipated during the operational life, the vast majority of the major equipment is expected to have a service life well exceeding 20 years.
The renewable electricity being produced from the solar river project will supply the needs of ZEN Energy’s retail customers and support the South Australian Government’s strategy of having the State of South Australian powered by net 100% renewable electricity by 2030.
The project received Crown Development Approval under Section 49 of the Development Act 1993. The approval remains current.
The main project site was selected for its anticipated low impacts, being a large cleared grazing property north of Goyder’s line. The main project site and connecting transmission line easement and switchyard location were subject to extensive development phase studies to secure approval – inclusive of Cultural Heritage, Ecology, Visual, Traffic, Surface Water, amongst others. ZEN will be carefully managing our compliance with the development approval conditions throughout the lifecycle of the project, especially our construction contractor’s compliance with approval conditions during the build phase.
You can contact our team using the contact form located on this webpage or by emailing our team at solarriver@zenenergy.com.au
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