Tender Round 5 under the NSW Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap opened on 22 May 2024 which is offering:
- Long Duration Storage (LDS) Long Term Energy Storage Agreements (LTESAs); and
- for the first time, access rights to the South-West Renewable Energy Zone (SW REZ).
Projects intending to connect to the existing network infrastructure can bid for LDS LTESA while projects intending to connect to the SW REZ access rights network can bid for LDS LTESA and access rights or access rights only. The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) is seeking to award an indicative 1 GW of LTESAs and up to 3.98 GW of SW REZ access rights.
Source: AEMO
Projects proposed by eligible proponents will have the opportunity to bid for multiple products under a single application where they meet the project eligibility criteria. The tender round will consist of two bidding stages, starting with the “Project Bid”, after which short-listed proponents will be invited to provide a “Financial Value Bid”.
Projects will be assessed under the following merit criteria:
| Stage 1: Project Bid | Stage 2: Financial Value Bid (by invitation) |
| 1. Impact on the electricity system;
2. Pathway to commercial operation; 3. Organisational capacity to deliver projects; and 4. Community engagement, shared benefits and land use considerations. |
5. Financial value;
6. Commercial departures; and 7. Regional economic development. |
You can find further information about the NSW Roadmap – Tender Round 5 here.
We set out a summary of the key dates for Tender Round 5 below:
| Key Dates | |
| Event | Date |
| Q&A Portal opens for feedback | 29 May 2024 |
| Registration Closing Date and Time | 7 June 2024 at 11:59pm |
| Consultation period for feedback on the Access PDA and Access Payment Deed closes | 19 June 2024 at 5pm |
| Project Bid Closing Date and Time | 27 June 2024 at 5pm |
| Invitation to Submit Financial Value Bid | Late August 2024* |
| Financial Value Bid Closing Date | Late September 2024* |
| Announce Selected Bids | December / January 2024* |
| *These dates are indicative and subject to change. | |
The Hamilton Locke team advises across the energy project life cycle – from project development, grid connection, financing, and construction, including the buying and selling of development and operating projects. For more information, please contact Matt Baumgurtel.
