Solar · Elgin Energy Pty Ltd · Solar PV - Single axis tracking
08 Jun 2026 04:00 → 15 Jun 2026 04:00 AEST
| Capex total (greenfield) |
$500.00M
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
|---|---|
| Capex refurbishment |
—
|
| Capex / MW derived |
$1,515,152
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Fixed OPEX (annual) |
$3.96M
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Fixed OPEX / MW-yr |
$12,000
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Variable OPEX / MWh |
$0.00
Shown in table |
| Fuel cost / GJ |
$0.00
Shown in table How this was derived Reference |
| Heat rate GJ/MWh |
—
How this was derived Reference |
Confidence: medium · Status: ai estimated · Capex basis: reported · AI checked 04 Jun 2026
Notes
Barwon is still proposed/development-stage rather than operational in the public sources reviewed. The only project-specific capex found is a planning-report statement that the hybrid solar+BESS project represents 'over 500 million dollars' of investment; this appears to cover the combined solar farm, BESS and associated infrastructure, not a clean standalone solar EPC cost. Capex_per_mw is therefore a simple minimum implied value using the user-supplied 250 MW capacity: AUD 500m / 250 MW = AUD 2.0m/MW, and should not be interpreted as pure solar-only capex. Public sources conflict or use different bases for capacity: Victorian planning/Elgin sources describe a 330 MWp solar farm and 250 MW BESS; Infrastructure Pipeline describes a proposed 250 MW solar farm and 250 MW / 500 MWh battery. Fixed and variable O&M, asset life, discount rate, emissions intensity and fuel assumptions are technology defaults because no Barwon-specific operating-cost, heat-rate, efficiency, emissions or refurbishment data was found. For fixed O&M annual estimate, the Aurecon/AEMO large-scale solar default of AUD 12,000/MWp-year was applied to 330 MWp solar capacity, giving AUD 3.96m/year. Variable O&M is shown as 0 because Aurecon reports solar PV variable O&M as included in the fixed component. No major refurbishment or closure date was found; public sources indicate expected construction commencement in 2025 and expected completion in 2026, subject to development/connection progress.
Barwon-specific construction-cost disclosure located was 'over $500 million' in planning documentation, apparently for the whole solar-plus-BESS project then described as 330 MWp solar plus up to 500 MW BESS. The numeric capex_total_aud is therefore recorded as a nominal lower-bound, not an exact EPC or financing-close amount. capex_per_mw_aud is a simple lower-bound derived as A$500m / 250 MW CIS generation capacity and is not a pure solar-only capex metric because the reported cost includes BESS and shared infrastructure. Current public capacity references conflict: Victorian planning/owner materials refer to 330 MW or 330 MWp solar plus 250 MW BESS, while CIS/DCCEEW/AEMO Services list Barwon as 250 MW generation plus 500 MWh storage. O&M, variable O&M, asset life, fuel and refurbishment assumptions are not Barwon-specific and use AEMO/GHD 2025 large-scale single-axis tracking solar PV assumptions. Major refurbishment assumption: inverters are expected to be refurbished or replaced around halfway through a 25-30 year asset life; tracking drive mechanisms may also need spend. No closure date or committed major refurbishment was found.
Barwon is not yet an operating NEM generator and no DUID was found in public search. Current official Commonwealth Priority List identifies Barwon Solar Farm as Solar + Battery with Solar: 250 MW and BESS: 250 MW, while earlier Victorian planning/Elgin material described 330 MWp solar plus 250 MW BESS. Infrastructure Pipeline notes the solar generation scope was reduced from 330 MW to 250 MW in March 2025. No project-specific capex, O&M, heat-rate, efficiency, or refurbishment data was found. Capex_total_aud is a default estimate only: 250 MW solar x A$1.526m/MW plus assumed 500 MWh two-hour BESS x A$0.731m/MWh, using CSIRO GenCost 2023-24 current 2023 costs. Fixed O&M is solar-only default: 250 MW x A$17,000/MW-year; BESS fixed O&M was not available in the cited sources, so total hybrid O&M is likely understated. Variable O&M and fuel cost are solar-only operating assumptions. Emissions intensity is direct operational Scope 1 only, not lifecycle embodied emissions. Major closure/refurbishment note: no closure or refurbishment announcement; default design/economic life is 30 years, with GHD noting 30-year design life for single-axis tracking solar PV and possible technical life extension to 40 years if piles do not corrode and spare parts remain available.