Renewable energy developer Flow Power has announced the development of the 39 megawatt Blind Creek renewable energy project. This landmark initiative will dramatically transform the energy landscape within the Bungendore region. Blind Creek provides over 600 hectares of scenic pastoral countryside. It’s prime real estate as it sits only 8 kilometres north-east of Bungendore and only 32 kilometres from the centre of Canberra.
The ambitious project features a combination of 300 megawatts (MW) of solar generation capacity and a 243 MW, 486 megawatt-hour battery system. The new facility is expected to come online by 2028. It is expected to help electrify up to 120,000 homes and businesses and drastically lower carbon emissions by an estimated 600,000 tonnes annually.
Construction of the now-shovel-ready project is already underway after Octopus Australia reached financial close on the A$900 million ($639 million) venture. This important collaboration locks in essential energy offtake for the new facility, further guaranteeing customers a dependable supply.
The Blind Creek project alone is projected to create approximately 300 full-time equivalent jobs. About 50% of these jobs will be earmarked for employees coming from Bungendore and surrounding Monaro region. This job creation promise to help support local economies and offer new opportunities to people in communities across the country.
The site includes a cutting-edge design that harnesses solar power produced in the daytime. That abundance of clean, stored energy will carry us through peak demand periods and enhance the stability and reliability of our energy supply.
Byron Serjeantson, Flow Power’s chief operating and financial officer, emphasized the project’s significance, stating,
“Blind Creek represents the next generation of renewable energy projects, combining smart technology, firmer supply for customers and regenerative agriculture.”
The regional development contributes to creating local jobs and stimulates local economies. It further defines the region as a leader in renewable energy projects. Most importantly, as the project advances, it will play a key role in Australia’s wider efforts of promoting sustainability and reducing carbon emissions.