RWE has received federal environmental approval for its 1.1 GW Theodore wind farm. The project is located in Central Queensland, Australia. The project secured State Development Approval in June 2025 and was awarded the Capacity Investment Scheme contract under Tender 7 in May 2026. This approval under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act includes conditions focused on protecting biodiversity and managing potential environmental impacts.
The project, valued at A$3 billion, will comprise up to 170 wind turbines and a battery energy storage system (BESS). Furthermore, the project construction is expected to commence in 2027, subject to a final investment decision. The project is expected to generate enough electricity to power around 500,000 Queensland homes while supporting Australia’s energy transition. The project is expected to generate around A$500 million in economic benefits during construction and provide A$17.5 million in community investments.
RWE has been present in the Australian market since 2013. The company has already commissioned the 314 MWac Limondale Solar Farm in Balranald, New South Wales in 2021 and has also started operations of its 8-hour battery storage system close to the solar farm. The company is building a portfolio of onshore wind, solar and battery storage projects across the country.
REGlobal’s Views: Australia has been ramping its renewables and energy storage capacity as the country has an ageing fleet of coal power stations that are set retire. Auctions are planned to be conducted regularly from 2024-2027 to drive more investments in the country’s growing renewable energy sector. Moreover, the country has increased the Capacity Investment Scheme target to 26 GW for renewables generation and to 14 GW for clean dispatchable capacity.