South Australia has opened up more than 11,000 square kilometres of land for the potential development of renewable energy projects as it continues the march towards its target of 100% net renewables by 2027.
Image: Department of Energy and Mining
The South Australia government is now calling for investors from around the globe to propose large-scale solar, wind and storage projects for development across more than 11,000 square kilometres (km² ) of land released under the state’s renewable energy framework.
Applications are now open for renewable energy feasibility licences over the Whyalla West and Gawler Ranges East areas released under South Australia’s Hydrogen and Renewable Energy Act.
The Gawler Ranges East release area comprises approximately 5,200 km² on the Upper Eyre Peninsula, and the Whyalla West release area is in the Upper Spencer Gulf region, spanning about 6,500 km².
South Australia’s Department of Energy and Mining (DEM) said the two release areas include some of the highest co-incident wind and solar resources in the state, with estimates suggesting the areas could host renewable energy projects potentially providing enough energy to power more than half a million homes.
The DEM said the tender does not limit applicants to proposing any specific technology types, with investors invited to propose how they would optimise the use of land and the renewable energy resources in the release areas.
“Tenders must address the prescribed criteria in their application, including how they plan to deliver the content within a timeframe, their experience, environmental management credentials and how the project will benefit the state and the traditional custodians of the land,” it said.
The call for tenders in both release areas is open until 28 June 2026 with the DEM saying the extended period has been provided to allow applicants time to prepare their bids and engage with native title holders on an agreement.
South Australia is at the forefront of Australia’s clean energy transition with the state currently averaging 75% net variable renewable energy on an annual basis, and regularly achieving 100% instantaneous variable renewable energy generation, driven by the uptake of large-scale wind and solar resources and rooftop PV.
The state is targeting 100% net renewables by the end of 2027.
This content is protected by copyright and may not be reused. If you want to cooperate with us and would like to reuse some of our content, please contact: editors@pv-magazine.com.
More articles from David Carroll
Please be mindful of our community standards.
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Comment *
Name *
Email *
Website
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.


Δ
By submitting this form you agree to pv magazine using your data for the purposes of publishing your comment.
Your personal data will only be disclosed or otherwise transmitted to third parties for the purposes of spam filtering or if this is necessary for technical maintenance of the website. Any other transfer to third parties will not take place unless this is justified on the basis of applicable data protection regulations or if pv magazine is legally obliged to do so.
You may revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future, in which case your personal data will be deleted immediately. Otherwise, your data will be deleted if pv magazine has processed your request or the purpose of data storage is fulfilled.
Further information on data privacy can be found in our Data Protection Policy.
By subscribing to our newsletter you’ll be eligible for a 10% discount on magazine subscriptions!
Δ
Legal Notice Terms and Conditions Privacy Policy © pv magazine 2026
pv magazine Australia offers bi-weekly updates of the latest photovoltaics news.
We also offer comprehensive global coverage of the most important solar markets worldwide. Select one or more editions for targeted, up to date information delivered straight to your inbox.
Δ
This website uses cookies to anonymously count visitor numbers. To find out more, please see our Data Protection Policy. ×
The cookie settings on this website are set to “allow cookies” to give you the best browsing experience possible. If you continue to use this website without changing your cookie settings or you click “Accept” below then you are consenting to this.
Close

source