• 1-gigawatt onshore wind project would generate enough electricity to power about 500,000 Queensland homes
• Development Application approval reflects strong community engagement and best practice project development

RWE Renewables Australia’s 1-gigawatt Theodore onshore wind project has received state planning approval from the Queensland Government.

The project, proposed for near Theodore in the Banana Shire in central Queensland, has received Development Application (DA) approval from Queensland’s State Assessment and Referral Agency.

Located about 22 kilometres east of Theodore and 50 kilometres south-west of Biloela, the project is planned to have up to 170 turbines and a battery energy storage system. It would contribute a significant portion of future electricity supply for the growing Central Queensland region by generating enough electricity to power about 500,000 Queensland homes.

Daniel Belton, CEO RWE Renewables Australia: “RWE is thrilled to secure state planning approval for the Theodore Wind Farm, a 1-gigawatt project with strong community benefits, that would support Queensland’s energy supply.

“RWE has always understood that a key to successfully delivering projects is putting community first, and in line with this philosophy we have developed strong relationships with the community and other stakeholders at Theodore over the past three years. We appreciate the Queensland Government’s rigorous approach to DA assessment, and have proactively worked with the government to ensure we delivered best practice community engagement, which has supported the achievement of our DA.

“As we look ahead to commencing construction in 2026, we look forward to continuing to work with Powerlink and the Queensland Government on the infrastructure needed to make this project a success. We remain committed to collaborating with the community, government, Traditional Owners and other stakeholders to bring this project to life.”

The Theodore project is expected to generate $500 million into the local and Queensland economy throughout construction. This is in addition to a Community Benefit Fund of at least $500,000 per year – equating to about $17.5 million across the operational life of the wind farm – once the project moves into the construction phase.

Construction of the project would take up to four years and require a workforce of up to 500 people at peak periods.

RWE and Stanwell are continuing discussions on offtake for Theodore under their MoU, signed in 2023.

The Theodore project will now continue through the Federal Government’s EPBC Act process, where it has been placed on the National Renewable Energy Priority List (Priority List).

RWE in Australia

Australia is one of RWE’s focus markets, where it has been present since 2013. In 2018, the company began construction of the Limondale solar farm in Balranald, New South Wales. With an installed capacity of 249 MWac the large-scale solar farm is made up of 872,000 panels and generates enough electricity to power about 105,000 homes per year. Full commercial operation started in 2021. RWE is currently constructing Australia’s first eight-hour battery within the project’s boundary, which is on track to be completed in December. The landmark project has a planned capacity of 50+ megawatts (MW) and 400+ megawatt hours (MWh) and was the only successful project in New South Wales’ first Long Duration Storage Long-Term Energy Service Agreements tender process. RWE’s Australian team is currently developing a portfolio of wind, solar, and battery storage projects across the country, supported by the global RWE team.