Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water / Generator Design Partners for the Generator Engagement Process for the Hunter-Central Coast REZ - RFT-10059181

The Energy Corporation of NSW (EnergyCo), as the Infrastructure Planner under the Electricity Infrastructure Investment Act 2020, is leading the development of the Hunter-Central Coast Renewable Energy Zone (HCC REZ).

EnergyCo is seeking expressions of interest (EOIs) from large scale renewable energy generator and storage project developers to participate in an interactive engagement process (Engagement Process) as part of the development of the HCC REZ. Selected developers (Generator Design Partners) will help EnergyCo progress the technical development of the HCC REZ network infrastructure design and help minimise cumulative community and environmental impacts.

To be eligible to submit an EOI, a developer’s project must:

•be located within the HCC REZ declared area; and

•satisfy the Eligible Project Pathway 1 or 2 below.

Eligible Project Pathway 1: The Applicant has a Project with a generation or storage power rating of at least 100MW. 

Eligible Project Pathway 2: The Applicant: 

•has a Project with a generation or storage power rating of between 50MW and 100MW; and 

•can demonstrate that the Project will achieve Practical Completion by December 2027.

NSW Regions: Central Coast, Hunter

Expression of Interest for Specific Contracts - An invitation for Expression of Interest (EOI) for pre-registration of prospective tenderers for a specific work or service. Applicants are initially evaluated against published selection criteria, and those who best meet the required criteria are invited to Tender (as tender type Pre-Qualified/Invited).

EnergyCo will hold an online EOI Briefing session with interested developers on Friday 10 November 2023, at 10.30am.  

Registrations to attend the EOI Briefing are due no later than 11:00am AEDT on Thursday 9 November 2023. 

The purpose of the online briefing session is to:

•introduce EnergyCo representatives;

•explain the objectives and format of the Generator Engagement Process;

•describe the Generator Engagement Process within the context HCC REZ;

•provide an overview of the evaluation criteria and timeline; and

•answer questions about the EOI Process.

Interested developers may nominate up to two (2) attendees in the EOI Briefing Registration Form and return it to the email address in the “Address for Lodgement” section. The Confidentiality and Disclaimer Deed Poll must be correctly executed and submitted to EnergyCo in order to attend the EOI Briefing. 

A completed EOI Briefing Registration Form may be submitted together with the Confidentiality and Disclaimer Deed Poll. EnergyCo will be in contact with interested developers to arrange access to the EOI Briefing.

The Confidentiality and Disclaimer Deed Poll and the EOI Briefing Registration Form must be submitted to: Mr Aaron Kwok at: hccrez@energyco.nsw.gov.au with the subject: "HCC REZ GDP EOI – CDDP / EOI Briefing Registration – [interested developer's name]". Subject to successful completion of the Confidentiality and Disclaimer Deed Poll, a passcode and link will be emailed to provide access to EOI Invitation for RFT ID: RFT-10059181-1 EOI submission (RFT-10059181-1) from Applicants are to be submitted via the NSW eTendering website.

Disclaimer

Participation in this process will not limit or prevent the developer from exercising or being responsible for its duties to a network service provider in relation to a connection application process or connection process with a network service provider.

Submitting an EOI or any subsequent participation in the Generator Engagement Process is independent of any potential competitive tender process that may be conducted by the Consumer Trustee, noting that the application of an access scheme to HCC REZ is yet to be determined.

 

The identification and selection of Generator Design Partners to contribute to the development of the HCC REZ network infrastructure is independent from the Consumer Trustee’s processes and will not form part of the Consumer Trustee’s assessment criteria. 

In participating in this EOI Process and Engagement Process, Applicants acknowledge that:

•under the EII Act, EnergyCo, as the infrastructure planner for the HCC REZ, may grant or increase an access right based on a recommendation from the Consumer Trustee;

•there is no guarantee that Generator Design Partners will be successful in securing access rights and/or LTESAs via the Consumer Trustee’s tender process. Conversely, parties that are not selected as part of this EOI Process may be successful in securing access rights and/or LTESAs; and

•EnergyCo maintains discretion to make recommendations to the Consumer Trustee about different options for the HCC REZ network infrastructure despite any other connection agreements.

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