Octopus Australia breaks ground on €540m Blind Creek solar farm and battery project in New South Wales

The €540 million Blind Creek project in Bungendore, New South Wales, demonstrates a strong commitment to large-scale hybrid renewable development by Octopus Australia, adding a 300MW solar farm coupled with a substantial 243MW/486MWh battery storage system to their portfolio. This hybrid configuration, announced on 2026-03-10, is critical for enhancing grid stability and dispatchability within NSW, moving beyond intermittent generation to a more reliable power supply. Octopus Australia, which manages over A$10 billion in renewable energy assets, significantly expands its footprint with this development, transitioning the project to the construction stage following groundbreaking activities. GRS will serve as the EPC contractor, bringing their expertise in energy infrastructure to the 300MW solar component. Wärtsilä Energy Storage, a global provider with over 2.5 GW / 4 GWh of installed capacity, will supply the advanced 243MW/486MWh battery system, ensuring robust energy storage capabilities for the project. The financing consortium for the Blind Creek project reveals strong institutional appetite for Australian renewable infrastructure. Hostplus, an Australian industry superannuation fund with over A$100 billion in assets under management, joins APG, a major pension provider, and Rest, another Australian superannuation fund managing over $75 billion in assets, reflecting a broad mandate for long-term, stable infrastructure investments. The Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Australia's government-owned green bank with over A$12.5 billion committed to clean energy projects, provides crucial co-investment and de-risking support. Westpac Private Bank also participates, indicating interest from high-net-worth individuals in the project's sustainable returns. This diverse investor base, spanning Australian super funds, international pension capital, government-backed finance, and private wealth, validates the commercial viability and long-term value proposition of large-scale hybrid renewable assets in New South Wales.