OX2 Begins Construction on $300 Million Muswellbrook Solar Farm

Clean energy developer OX2 has begun construction on the $300 million Muswellbrook Solar Farm and Battery in the Hunter region of New South Wales. The project transforms 482 hectares of the state's oldest open-cut coal mine into a renewable energy hub featuring 300,000 solar panels and a 135-megawatt battery energy storage system. Expected to be operational by 2028, the facility will provide power to approximately 52,000 homes and create up to 200 construction jobs.

Co-developed with Idemitsu Australia, the project is being delivered by a joint venture between Bouygues Construction Australia and Equans Solar and Storage Australia. The site will connect to the Ausgrid 132 kV transmission grid and includes a land-sharing agreement allowing the Wolfgang family to graze sheep under panels on 100 hectares of their property. As part of a voluntary planning agreement with the Muswellbrook Shire Council, OX2 will contribute $115,000 annually to a Community Benefit Sharing Program.

Chief Executive Officer Matthias Taft linked the project to a broader 10 billion euro global investment in renewables over the next decade. Additionally, AGL and Idemitsu are exploring a separate 400-megawatt pumped hydro project at Bells Mountain, which could potentially come online in 2029.