NSW Premier Breaks Ground With Octopus Australia
NSW Premier Chris Minns and Octopus Australia mark the start of construction on one of the nation's most significant energy projects
New South Wales Premier Chris Minns has joined Octopus Australia to break ground on the Blind Creek Solar and Battery project, emphasising the State Government’s support for renewable energy infrastructure.
Premier Minns captured the significance at the event: “This is the kind of project New South Wales needs as we replace ageing energy infrastructure. We need to keep the lights on, keep costs as low as possible, and to keep regional communities with us along the way.”
The $900 million project combines a 300 MW solar farm with a 243 MW / 486 MWh battery, delivering firmed renewable energy that can be stored during the day and dispatched during peak evening demand.
The Premier highlighted that initiatives like Blind Creek are critical for stabilising electricity costs and ensuring grid reliability as older coal-fired power plants are phased out. He stressed that replacing the state’s retiring coal generators is an urgent priority, noting that any delay in building new capacity could leave both residents and businesses vulnerable to escalating power bills and an unstable energy system. He warned that failing to secure replacement power before these closures occur will inevitably drive up electricity prices.
Echoing the need for coordinated efforts, Octopus Australia CEO Sam Reynolds explained the complex alignment required to bring such projects to life. He pointed to the necessity of combining domestic and international capital—such as investments from global pension and superannuation funds—with strategic planning, community backing, and, most importantly, reliable government policies to provide certainty for major investors.
The site connects via a new substation into the transmission backbone running between Sydney and Canberra, positioning it to play a direct role in grid stability as coal retires across the National Electricity Market. Octopus Australia CEO Sam Reynolds describes the product simply: “real infrastructure, real clean electricity and real jobs.”
At peak construction, Blind Creek will support up to 300 full-time equivalent jobs, with approximately half expected to come from the local Bungendore and Monaro regions. Construction is being led by EPC contractor GRS, with Wärtsilä supplying the battery energy storage system. The project is due to be fully operational in 2028.
A Coalition of Capital
The investment behind Blind Creek reflects the strength of Octopus Australia’s proposition. Superannuation funds Hostplus and Rest have committed alongside the Commonwealth’s Clean Energy Finance Corporation, Westpac Private Bank and Dutch pension giant APG. This is the kind of capital alignment — domestic super, international institutional money and government finance — that represents the mature end of Australia’s energy transition.
Farming and Energy, Side by Side
Blind Creek was initiated in partnership with local sheep farmers whose families have worked the land for 155 years. The solar farm has been designed from the ground up to allow grazing to continue alongside energy generation — with improved wind protection, partial shading and soil improvements expected to boost the land’s agricultural capability rather than diminish it.
It is a model that resonates with the communities renewable energy projects most need to bring with them.
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