A total of 10 renewable energy projects have been granted access to a power grid in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, to avoid over 10mn t/yr of CO2 equivalent (CO2e) of emissions by 2031, the NSW state government said today.

The 10 private solar, wind and battery storage projects will connect to the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), a 20,000 km² area about 400 km west of state capital Sydney that will avoid 10.29mn t/yr of carbon emissions, according to the state's energy minister. Construction of the 240 km transmission line connecting the renewable energy projects to the national electricity market will start in mid-2025 and is estimated to cost A$3.2bn ($2.1bn).

The 10 projects will provide total renewable energy and storage capacity of 7.15 GW, capable of powering over half the households in NSW by 2031.

The Central-West Orana REZ is expected to be completed by December 2028 and is part of the NSW's transition to renewable energy. The REZ is expected to generate 15,000 GWh/yr of energy when fully operational, around 5pc of the total 273,000 GWh generated in the country in 2023, according to the Australian Department of Environment.

The REZ improves the state's chances of meeting its target of reducing emissions by 50pc from 2005 levels by 2030 through lowering its reliance on coal-fired generation, which accounted for 70pc of fuel used in NSW in May 2024-April 2025.

Australia's largest coal-fired power station Origin's 2,880 MW Eraring provides 18pc of the state's electricity and will close in August 2027, around a year before the expected completion of the Central West Orana REZ project.

By Grace Dudley