WestWind Energy, an Australia-based renewable energy developer, has received the approval of the Victorian Government for the Warracknabeal Energy Park, a wind project of more than 1.5 GW with battery storage. The company welcomed the decision on 15 October 2026. Under the Environment Effects Statement (EES) of the project, a BESS is to be provided at each of the two collector stations, and the two systems are to have a combined capacity of up to 1,000 MWh.

The batteries are to store the excess energy from the turbines, and they are to release it into the electricity network whenever it is needed. Each facility is to be placed beside a collector station, near fire breaks, static water supplies and access tracks, so that emergency vehicles can reach it. Together, the two facilities are expected to cover a total area of about 10 to 11 ha. ABC News has reported that each of the two BESS is to be rated at 300 MW, although the EES has left their final configuration, capacity and technology to the detailed design phase, as these will depend on market conditions.

Up to 219 turbines, with an installed capacity of about 1,575 MW, have been planned on roughly 26,000 ha of farmland just west of Warracknabeal, in the Wimmera region. Once the park is in operation, WestWind expects it to become the largest wind farm in Australia and to generate enough electricity for about 1.2 million homes. The Planning Minister has also recognised that the project could generate renewable electricity equivalent to about 12.5% of the electricity demand of the state, and about 950 jobs are expected to be created during its construction.

In response to the decision, Tobias Geiger, the Managing Director of WestWind Energy, said, "Today's announcement is an important milestone for the Warracknabeal Energy Park and reflects a decade of detailed planning, technical assessment and engagement with the local community." The approval was signed off by the Planning Minister, Sonya Kilkenny, five months after the environmental impact report of the project had been approved.

As this was the last approval required from the Victorian authorities, the project will now go to the federal environment minister for final checks. However, a spokesperson for the National Environmental Protection Agency has said that the federal decision has been temporarily paused, while the proponent provides more information to support the assessment.

WestWind Energy is an Australian renewable energy developer established in 2004. It has developed more than 2 GW of wind projects in Australia that are now in operation, including the 1.3 GW Golden Plains Wind Farm, and it holds a further development pipeline of more than 8 GW across the country.