Ark Energy has signed an Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) agreement with Elecnor Australia to undertake early works for the Richmond Valley Solar & BESS project.

The scope of the agreement, signed in late September 2025, includes site studies, detailed engineering design for the solar farm, balance of plant design for the battery energy storage system, structural certification, management plans and permitting support. The work is expected to be completed by Q2 2026, ahead of execution of the full EPC contract.

Elecnor’s experience as a renewable energy EPC contractor includes ACEN Australia’s New England Solar, one of the biggest solar projects in NSW, and Neoen’s Blyth Battery, one of South Australia’s largest BESS assets.

The agreement marks an important milestone for the project and enables Ark Energy to progress detailed engineering, interface planning and overall project delivery timelines.

The Richmond Valley Solar & BESS involves a solar farm with a generation capacity of up to 500 megawatts (MW) and a long-duration BESS with a power capacity of 275 MW and energy storage capacity of up to 2,200 MWh over 8 hours.

The project is listed in the Australian Government’s inaugural National Renewable Energy Priority List and was awarded a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement (LTESA) in 2023. It is expected to play a key role in supporting the state’s transition to renewable energy.