ACCIONA, in the ACEREZ partnership with COBRA and Endeavour Energy, has reached financial close for the design, construction, financing, operation and maintenance of the transmission network for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) in New South Wales.
The project will establish critical infrastructure to connect solar and wind farms and energy storage to the NSW electricity grid. It is central to the Minns Labor Government’s delivery of a reliable, affordable energy system to benefit communities and the economy.
EnergyCo has appointed ACEREZ to design, build and finance the Central-West Orana REZ transmission project and operate and maintain it for the next 35 years. The project will deliver at least 4.5 GW of new network capacity by 2028, to connect 7.7 GW of wind and solar projects, enough to power more than 2 million homes each year.
The project will generate an economic boost in the Central-West Orana region and NSW as a whole, supporting more than 5,000 construction jobs and bringing $20 billion in private investment into the region by 2030. While early works on the project started in February, construction is scheduled to start by mid-2025.
The NSW Government is investing $128 million in communities which will host the Central-West Orana REZ, through grants for Councils as well as community and First Nations groups and projects. The recipients of the first round of grants will be announced soon, to provide funding into the area before major construction starts.
