Mid-north battery and wind farm project gets green light
AGL’s proposed wind and battery project near Redhill has been granted development approval by the state government.
A major wind farm and battery system near Red Hill in the state’s mid-north has been granted state government approval, paving the way forward for AGL ahead of its final investment decision on the project later this year.
The state government approved the project in late January.
If it goes ahead, the Barn Hill Wind Farm and Battery Project will include a wind farm with capacity of up to 360 MW, a new transmission connection, and eventually a 270 MW battery that can provide up to four hours of storage.
It will sit nearly 5 km south-west of Redhill in the state’s mid-north, with the windfarm to be located across the hilltops between the Snowtown Wind Farm and the Clements Gap Wind Farm.
A render of AGL’s proposed Barn Hill Wind Farm and Battery Project. Photo: AGL
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AGL acquired the project in 2009 but sought new approvals in 2024 after expanding its scope to include larger wind turbines and a potential battery.
AGL says that while the final investment decision for the wind farm and associated infrastructure is expected in late 2025, any decision on whether to proceed with the battery is “expected to come later”.
“This staged approach is influenced by factors such as AGL’s generation portfolio needs, capital deployment, procurement processes, critical equipment lead times and connection approval timelines,” AGL said.
The project is expected to have up to 50 turbines which would be able to power 208,000 homes in South Australia per year.
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AGL opened a 250 MW grid-scale battery the size of a football field on Torrens Island in 2023 capable of storing enough power to electrify 75,000 homes for one hour.
“South Australia is a leader in renewable energy generation, and we are proud of our role in providing our South Australian customers with energy,” AGL COO Markus Brokhof said.
“Subject to the Final Investment Decision, this project is expected to create 200 jobs during construction and up to 20 during operations.
“The Barn Hill Wind Farm and Battery project is an important part of AGL’s growing development pipeline as we pursue our ambition to add 12 GW of renewables and firming capacity by the end of 2035.”
Brokhof said AGL would “work with the local community, including landowners, Traditional Owners, councils and local residents as we work towards commencement of construction”.
Mayor of the Wakefield Regional Council Rodney Reid welcomed the additional wind farm capacity in his region.
“Wakefield Regional Council is pleased to have another wind farm development in our region,” he said.
SA Energy and Mining Minister Tom Koutsantonis also welcomed the project.
“South Australia is rightly recognised as a leader in the renewable energy transition and development approval for AGL’s proposed Barn Wind Farm and Battery project is further evidence of that,” Koutsantonis said.
“The isn’t just about generation, storage and firming capacity – it’s about jobs, with AGL anticipating the creation of around 200 new roles during construction and up to 20 ongoing during operations.
“I look forward to AGL’s Final Investment Decision.”
