Consultation opens on Darwin Renewable Energy Hub

The Northern Territory Government has announced it is seeking public feedback on the proposed development of the Darwin Renewable Energy Hub. The government says the project will play a pivotal role in supplying more affordable, secure and cleaner energy for households and businesses on the Darwin-Katherine electricity system.

Minister for Renewables Gerard Maley said the project would boost the local economy over its operating life, creating around 500 jobs during construction and operation, including long-term sustainable jobs.

“A key priority… is economic development through jobs creation and this project represents a considerable injection into the Territory economy. It is expected to generate over $400 million in local supply chain spending during construction and large-scale private investment in generation and energy storage,” he said. “It is great for the economy and great for the environment, but the Darwin REH will also enable enhanced energy security and grid resilience.”

The REH involves the co-location of up to six large-scale solar farms, capable of generating 180–210 MW of renewable energy, alongside a battery energy storage system, on a single site near existing network infrastructure.

The proposed site is on 940 hectares of Crown Land, about 19 km south of Palmerston and 4 km north of Berry Springs. The development area within the proposed site is approximately 500 ha.

All electricity produced in the Hub will be fed directly into the Darwin-Katherine grid, supplying clean and renewable power to Territory households and businesses.

The consultation process will allow local residents, the community, businesses and key stakeholders to obtain information about the project and provide feedback. The final project design and final investment decision will be informed by feedback provided through this consultation process.

Public consultation will close at on Friday, 28 February 2025.

Image credit: Northern Territory Government