Update on competitive tenders
On 4 October 2022, the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap (the Roadmap) passed another major milestone with the opening of the first competitive tender for generation and long-duration storage investment. This tender marks the commencement of six-monthly competitive tenders by AEMO Services, as the Consumer Trustee.
EnergyCo and the Consumer Trustee are seeking to work with project proponents intending to connect to the new Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ) network infrastructure. Access to REZ infrastructure is a valuable right that will be awarded to the best projects competing in Consumer Trustee’s tender processes.
Following market feedback, further time is required to allow projects seeking to connect to new network infrastructure within the CWO REZ, to develop high quality tender bids that reflect the next stage of transmission infrastructure design. Accordingly, access rights will not be available through the Consumer Trustee’s inaugural tender.
Projects seeking to connect to the CWO REZ new network infrastructure will be asked to enter into Access Right Agreements, comprising of a Project Development Agreement and Project Coordination Agreement. EnergyCo and the Consumer Trustee will engage with proponents in the preparation of these agreements.
All projects intending to seek access rights to connect to the new CWO REZ network infrastructure are encouraged to contact EnergyCo at contact@energyco.nsw.gov.au.
CWO REZ Network Infrastructure bidder information
Further information on the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (CWO REZ) Network Infrastructure will be made available to developers seeking to tender for CWO access rights.
Information for bidders will be made available through an online data room. To request access, and execute a Confidentiality Deed Poll, please email contact@energyco.nsw.gov.au.
Bidders who have previously participated successfully in the Candidate Foundational Generators’ EOI process for the CWO REZ need not re-apply.
For more information, visit Renewable energy generation projects.
For more information on the Tender process, visit the Consumer Trustee’s website.
Streamlined connection process
An overview of the streamlined connection process for the CWO REZ, is set out in the Access Scheme Positions Paper.
This revised process is intended to make the connection process less complicated for successful tenderers, including through the setting upfront of Access Standards for the CWO REZ.
As generation and storage projects are allocated access rights, they will be able to commence the streamlined connection process.
The following is a high-level description of how the initial steps of the process is anticipated to work:
- Following the allocation of access rights, the Consumer Trustee will share the connection-related information (provided in their application to the combined tender) for access rights holders with EnergyCo;
- EnergyCo will provide a package of information to access rights holders which is equivalent to the information provided in a response to connection enquiry under the National Electricity Rules (NER);
- Access right holders will be required to prepare an application to connect, including plant models, and submit these to the Network Operator appointed for the new CWO REZ infrastructure within the timeframes agreed under their project development agreements.
Initial system strength requirements for the access rights network are intended to be provided by the Network Operator delivering the access rights network, who will be reimbursed through fees collected from access right holders.
The method for calculating the system strength charge will be provided to bidders ahead of the competitive tender.
The regulations implementing the streamlined connection process will be finalised prior to the time applications to connect are required to be made by access right holders.
The latest detail on the streamlined connection process is available in the Access Scheme Positions Paper. For more information on the Tender visit the the Consumer Trustee's website.