The Illawarra Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), south of Sydney, has attracted A$43 billion in potential investment in response to calls for interest in large-scale energy projects, the NSW government said.
The state has secured commercial interest to develop 44 projects including wind, solar, energy storage, pumped hydro and green hydrogen production with a combined capacity of 17 GW.
The proposals include five large-scale solar projects, 16 energy storage projects and four pumped hydro projects. Investors have also proposed two onshore wind projects and eight offshore facilities, as well as three new "load projects" including green steel manufacturing.
Illawarra REZ is one of five renewable energy zones included in the NSW Government's electricity roadmap. The state aims to support more than $32 billion in private investment in renewable energy generation, storage and transmission.
Energy Co NSW, the state agency behind REZ, said it would now work closely with industry, local government, local communities and other stakeholders. The Illawarra REZ is expected to be officially announced in late 2022 under the NSW Government's electricity roadmap legislation. REZs are also being developed in other parts of the state. They are expected to bring at least 12 GW of renewable energy and 2 GW of online storage.
