Renewable energy in Darling Downs South West
Darling Downs South West is known for its rich agriculture, strong primary industries and now its global-leading renewable energy facilities.
A key part of the energy transformation for the region is to ensure energy projects support existing industries and communities and generate greater employment opportunities.
As well as future-proofing the region’s economy, the energy transformation will help our state reach our carbon emissions reduction targets of net zero by 2050.
Regional centres in Darling Downs South West include Warwick, Dalby and Roma.
Energy strengths
Located south-west of Warwick, the MacIntyre Wind Farm will be the largest onshore wind farm in the Southern Hemisphere, with a capacity of almost 1GW.
There are 13 solar farms in the region totalling 1500MW of renewable energy capacity.
The region is also home to large gas resources and a highly skilled workforce.
Renewable energy projects
South Queensland has the potential for 5 Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) as outlined in the REZ Roadmap. The Darling Downs has been identified as an area that may be suitable for a REZ with the potential to connect 1600 to 2000MW of renewable energy generation capacity.
The REZ would be developed in a coordinated way to ensure there are opportunities for local communities, businesses and supply chains.
Wind energy in the region
Queensland is supporting new wind farms in the Southern REZ as part of the Queensland Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Jobs Fund.
As well as the MacIntyre Wind Farm precinct, phase one of the two-stage Wambo Wind Farm is underway. This project will contribute 252MW of renewable electricity to the grid. Located near Jandowae, the project is creating up to 200 jobs during construction.
The 43-turbine Dulacca Wind Farm is already producing 180MW for the grid. This is enough to power the equivalent of 124,000 homes annually.
From coal to renewable energy
Steve is a proud Kingaroy local and long-time energy worker who has made the switch from working on coal-powered projects to renewable projects. His role on the Wambo Wind Farm saw Steve transfer his 3 decades of experience to the growing renewables industry.
Learn more about Steve and other Queenslanders working for our renewable energy transformation.
Solar energy snapshot
Australia’s largest solar farm is located in the Darling Downs South West.
The Western Downs Green Power Hub has more than 1 million solar panels, with a 400MW capacity. The project is located 22km south-east of Chinchilla and provides significant income for local landowners and up to 14 ongoing jobs.
Another solar facility located near Chinchilla is the Edenvale Solar Park, which has 204MW of solar panels.
Renewable hydrogen investment
New state-of-the-art hydrogen projects continue to be brought online in Darling Downs South West.
The publicly owned CS Energy has partnered with Senex Energy to build the Kogan Creek Renewable Hydrogen Demonstration Plant at its Kogan Clean Energy Hub. The plant will produce about 75,000kg of hydrogen from solar energy produced on site. The hydrogen will be used for domestic and international decarbonisation.
CS Energy is also developing the 400MW Brigalow Peaking Power Plant next to the Kogan Creek Power Station near Chinchilla. The gas-peaker will be capable of running on a blend of hydrogen and natural gas to provide reliable energy to power more than 150,000 Queensland homes during peak periods.
The Queensland Government is supporting Goondiwindi Regional Council to build a hydrogen production facility at its wastewater treatment plant, through the Hydrogen Industry Development Fund. The hydrogen will be produced from solar and wastewater at the plant and sold locally.
Oxygen is produced as a by-product and will be used by the council to improve the efficiency of the wastewater treatment plant.
How we generate electricity in Queensland
View Queensland’s electricity generation map.
Landholder opportunities
Opportunities exist for landholders to host renewable energy projects. The Queensland Renewable Energy Landholder Toolkit can help you with the decision-making process.
Latest news
Sign up to the mailing list for the latest news about the renewable energy transformation in your region.
Find out about the latest community engagement.
- Last updated
- 08 July 2024