Renewables - Idemitsu Australia

Renewable energy sources and storage

As the world transitions towards renewable energy sources and pathways toward net zero, Idemitsu Australia is conducting feasibility assessments and developing renewable power projects to provide a variety of renewable energy power sources and energy storage options.

Idemitsu Australia recognises the role it must play in helping the world achieve its decarbonisation ambitions and the part it plays in its parent company’s, Idemitsu Kosan’s, medium-term decarbonisation plans as well as its overarching long-term target to reach net zero CO2 emissions from Idemitsu Kosan Group’s operations (Scope 1 & 2) by 2050.

We are proud to invest in sustainable energy development in Australia and are currently advancing our investigations and developments in solar, biofuels and e-fuels, green hydrogen and ammonia.

Our global renewable energy expertise will help us to deliver projects that create domestic and export energy opportunities, and our current projects include:

Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) project providing up to 400MW with 8hrs of energy storage (3,200MWh) in Muswellbrook in partnership with AGL.
135MWAC large scale solar PV farm in Muswellbrook in partnership with Swedish renewable energy developer, OX2.
Muswellbrook Clean Industries Precinct which will incorporate pumped hydro and solar, and continuing investigations into green hydrogen, energy storage technologies and co-locating clean industry users of these energy sources.
Green hydrogen and ammonia production facility at Abbott Point in partnership with CS Energy, IHI Engineering and Energy Estate.
Merriown solar farm, a 6.5MWp/4.95MWac behind the meter solar farm that is due to commence construction in Q4 2024. By mid-2025, this project will supply green electricity to Boggabri Coal Mine, sufficient to meet 100% of the daytime load requirements.

Muswellbrook Clean Industries Precinct

After 115 years of continuous operation the Muswellbrook Coal Mine has completed mining activities and has entered into a phase of site rehabilitation. The closure of the mine provides a unique opportunity to repurpose the site for a life beyond mining. Above and beyond the rehabilitation required for mine closure, Idemitsu is preparing the site as a local hub for industrial and energy developments that will bring economic activity to the Upper Hunter Region. The precinct is home to development-phase power generation projects including the Muswellbrook Solar Farm and the Muswellbrook Pumped Hydroelectric Storage project. The precinct could also host alternative energy generation and storage technologies, as well as research, training and industrial use facilities to support the industrial development of the region.

Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro

As Australia transitions to include more renewable energy sources, hydroelectric energy storage can provide large amounts of long duration storage to keep electricity running and is shaping up to be a critical part of our future energy system.

The proposed Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) facility, in partnership with AGL, is exploring an innovative model whereby an existing mine void at Idemitsu’s Muswellbrook Coal mine acts as the lower reservoir and nearby Bells Mountain is proposed as the location for the upper reservoir. The pumped hydro system will provide capacity of up to 400MW with 8hrs of energy storage (3,200MWh).

The project is located within the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone and is being developed to provide deep energy storage to underpin the reliability of the NSW electricity grid and support the transition to low emission generation technologies, such as wind and solar PV.

In 2022, Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro Pty Ltd, was awarded $9.45 million funding under the NSW Government’s Pumped Hydro Recoverable Grants Program to advance development studies to a stage where the project is ready for investment. The grant funding is being used to complete a targeted geotechnical due diligence program, detailed project design and connection studies to prepare the project for an investment decision.

Muswellbrook Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Project

Muswellbrook Solar Farm

Idemitsu Australia in partnership with OX2 is developing a large-scale solar photovoltaic generation facility and associated infrastructure to be known as the Muswellbrook Solar Farm. The 135MWac project will produce enough electricity to power approximately 79,000 homes. The Muswellbrook Solar farm is an early-mover example of the energy transition occurring in the Upper Hunter Region and represents an exciting re-purposing of former coal mine buffer land. The project is currently progressing a NSW State Significant Development (SSD) approval process. Further information about the project and its development status can be found here: Muswellbrook Solar Farm – OX2

Merriown Solar Farm and Battery

Idemitsu Australia is developing a 6.5MWp solar PV facility near Boggabri mine, on a property known as Merriown. The solar farm is proposed to be owned and operated by Boggabri Coal Operations, with up to 5MW of electricity available for use on site. Construction is due to commence in Q4 2024 with completion targeted by mid-2025. This project will allow Boggabri mine’s operations to become fully self-sufficient, running solely on renewable energy during the day and providing renewable electricity for future planned electrification projects. In addition, Idemitsu Australia is currently developing a 1.5MW vanadium redox flow battery system, designed to be co-located with the Merriown solar farm. This battery will be capable of providing up to eight hours of energy storage capacity to Boggabri Coal Operations. The battery is being considered to further optimise the output of the Merriown solar farm, shifting the excess solar electricity generated in the middle of the day into the evening periods where grid prices are at their highest.

Hydrogen

Demand for low carbon transportable energy sources beyond electricity grids is increasing and we continue investment in developing green hydrogen as a high potential fuel to accelerate this switch. Idemitsu Australia is currently progressing one active large scale green hydrogen and ammonia project in Queensland at Abbott Point in partnership with CS Energy, IHI Engineering and Energy Estate. Idemitsu Australia is also leveraging expertise from past studies it has invested in including a review of the feasibility of export and bunkering of green hydrogen and ammonia at Port of Newcastle in New South Wales.