Australia Selects Over 6 GW RE Capacity Under CIS Tender I
Source：taiyangnews
Winning projects exceed 6 GW tendered capacity with NSW winning the largest chunk
NSW has bagged the largest chunk of the awarded capacity in Australia’s CIS tender I. (Illustrative Photo; Photo Credit: Steve Tritton/Shutterstock.com)
Key Takeaways
- Australia has announced the winners of CIS tender I, selecting 6.4 GW capacity
- Winning projects represent solar, wind and hybrid facilities, selected out of 84 proposals
- Over 40% of the projects selected include battery storage to ensure energy reliability
The auction results of Australia’s maiden Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) are out, with 19 renewable energy projects with 6.4 GW selected to add clean energy to the National Electricity Market (NEM). The winning projects comprise solar, wind and hybrid technologies combining renewables with batteries.
This exceeds the cap of 6 GW that the tender was launched with in May this year. Successful projects were chosen from 84 proposals that deliver about 4.5 times more than the original capacity (see Australia’s Largest Ever Single Tender For Renewable Energy).
The lion’s share, or 7 projects, with 3.7 GW of capacity will be located in the New South Wales (NSW). Lightsource bp’s 700 MW Sandy Creek Solar Farm and 450 MW Goulburn River Solar Farm comprise the winning solar projects list for the state. The list includes 900 MWh of battery storage.
Another 7 projects representing 1.6 GW of capacity, adding 1,500 MWh of storage are stationed in Victoria, 2 projects with 574 MW in South Australia, and 3 projects producing 550 MW along with 1,200 MWh of storage have been selected in Queensland.
More than 40% of the projects include battery storage to ensure energy reliability during periods of low sunlight or wind.
Australia’s Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) says several of the winning projects will come online between 2026 and 2028.
CIS is the Australian government’s flagship scheme to accelerate renewable energy generation in the country as its hurries up to replace its aging coal power plants. The target is to auction 32 GW under various phases.
Unsuccessful tender round 1 applicants can participate in the future CIS tenders after sprucing up their proposals. In November 2024, tender round 4 was launched with an indicative capacity of 6 GW.