Australia Streamlines Capacity Investment Scheme as 576MWh Solar-Plus-Storage Project Gets Quick Approval in Tasmania

Australia: CIS Waiting Times to Be Reduced as 576MWh BESS Approved
By George Heynes
June 23, 2025

Australia’s Minister for Climate Change and Energy, Chris Bowen, has announced efforts to expedite the Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS) tender process to approximately six months. This announcement, made at the opening of Australian Energy Week in Melbourne last week, revealed that the CIS will shift from its current two-stage tender process to a streamlined one-stage process.

This change is expected to shorten the time required to finalize tender outcomes from nine months to six months. In his speech, Bowen emphasized the government’s commitment to optimizing the scheme, acknowledging the need to address several challenges. “The beauty of the CIS is that it provides investment certainty for the industry, while also allowing us to learn and improve it over time,” Bowen stated. He added that the sector continues to face issues related to social license, workforce constraints, and approval delays. “In collaboration with the states and the industry, we are working to alleviate these constraints. Ensuring community benefits are integrated into CIS contracts is fundamental, and we will continue to enhance this aspect,” he noted.

Since its inception, the CIS has played a pivotal role in expanding Australia’s renewable energy generation and energy storage capabilities. Many tenders, at both national and state levels, have seen an overwhelming response. For example, the first CIS auction aimed to secure 6GW of renewable energy generation in the National Electricity Market (NEM), resulting in registered bids totaling 40GW, with 27GW classified as “very high quality” moving on to the next stage. Due to this oversubscription, the federal government has increased its capacity target to 10GW in the NEM, which includes 4GW of dispatchable power and 6GW of renewable energy generation. During the latest tender round, the projects submitted nearly tripled the government’s target, with 16.5GW of interest registered against the sought 6GW.

The CIS aims to unlock record levels of investment necessary for Australia to achieve its goal of 82% renewable energy by 2030, targeting 32GW of renewable energy and energy storage capacity. This includes 23GW from renewable energy generation and 9GW from dispatchable capacity, such as battery energy storage systems (BESS).

**576MWh Solar-Plus-Storage Project Approved in Just 20 Days**
In another development, a 576MWh solar-plus-storage project in Tasmania has received national government approval in just 20 days. The 250MW Weasel Solar Farm project was submitted for review under the federal government’s Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act in April 2025. This project includes a co-located BESS with a capacity of 144MW/576MWh, occupying a 3-hectare area.

The federal government confirmed that the approval process for this project was remarkably swift, taking only 20 days. Located 9km north of Bothwell, near the River Clyde, the project will connect to the NEM and is situated within the proposed T3 Tasmania Midlands Renewable Energy Zone (REZ). The Downie family from Dungrove and the Bowden family from Weasel Plains are collaborating with Alternate Path, an energy consultancy from Victoria, to bring this project to fruition.

The solar PV power plant will deploy up to 4,000 single-axis tracking PV modules across an area of 270 hectares, allowing for the continuation of agricultural activities, primarily sheep grazing, in a practice known as ‘agrivoltaics.’ Additionally, the project developers express their commitment to maintaining forestry practices in the vicinity to provide significant social and economic benefits for the local community and surrounding landowners.

The anticipated operational lifespan of the project is between 30 to 40 years, after which the plant will be decommissioned.