About Blind Creek Solar Farm
“Blind Creek Solar Farm is an agrisolar project founded by local farmers about 8km north of Bungendore. The founders are committed to putting the Bungendore community at the centre of the project and to ensuring its benefits are shared with the local community for sustainable agriculture, environment restoration and community building projects.”
Project overview
The proposed project comprises of a 300MW solar farm with 243MW/486MWh battery storage located on over 600 hectares of farmland.
The site will connect via a new substation, into an existing 330kV transmission line which runs across the site.
Early site works to inform the final designs commenced in November 2024, with the full construction phase of the project expected to begin in Q3 2025 and take approximately 18 - 24 months. Once complete the solar farm will have an operational life of 35 years, at the end of which, it will either be re-powered or decommissioned and the land returned to its original condition.
Location
The proposed project is to the north of the Bungendore Sands quarry and to the south of the operational Capital Wind Farm (owned by Iberdrola Australia).
The land here is flat, sandy and naturally clear of trees. The majority of the land has been historically used for grazing sheep and cattle, with the project designed to allow animal production to continue on the land as it has for 155 years.
Environmental benefits
Once complete the 300MW solar farm will produce over 600,000 MWh per year – enough energy to power up to 120,000 houses – and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by around 600,000 tonnes - equivalent to the pollution produced by almost 300,000 cars.
Farming activity
The proposed solar farm will co-exist with lamb production on the land it occupies.
The land is expected to have increased grazing capability as a result of protection from winds, partial shading, condensation and organic soil improvements.
Current status
The project is currently in its development phase, with a focus on finalising procurement, early works and design and financing. Construction is due to commence in Q3 2025.
The project’s application for Development Approval (DA) was on public exhibition between 7 June to 7 July 2022, with the DA approved on 28 July 2023. The DA application can be viewed on the DPE Major Projects portal here.
Sharing the benefits
For the 300MW solar farm, the council and the community will benefit from a share of over $2m over the lifetime of the project, comprising of a Community Benefit Sharing Scheme (CBSS) and Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA). Recipients are encouraged to spend this on local projects which are aligned with the vision of sustainable agriculture, environmental restoration and community building.
Proposed project area