Eurimbula project approved under Australia’s grid connection rigorous standards — set to lead the way for renewable stability in the NEM
Elements Green & SMA Australia have reached a major milestone for Australia’s renewable energy transition with the connection approval of Eurimbula Solar Farm and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), which is set to become the largest hybrid renewable energy project connected to the National Electricity Market (NEM). The project comprises 696 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity and a 666 MW / 1332 MWh BESS. Located in Queensland’s Central Renewable Energy Zone (REZ), the project combines Elements Green’s global development expertise with SMA’s advanced grid-forming and solar inverter technologies, meeting Australia’s rigorous technical standards.
Grid Connection Approval Achieved Under Rigorous Standards
On 14 May 2025, the Eurimbula Hybrid project secured grid connection approval from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) and Powerlink under clause 5.3.4A of the NER. This approval confirms the project’s compliance with some of the most demanding technical grid connection requirements worldwide, including comprehensive modelling and assessment of system strength, inertia, and frequency response capabilities.
SMA Australia will supply advanced inverter and control technology and has provided the critical grid modelling and compliance support necessary for Elements Green to achieve regulatory approval. This achievement adds to several recent grid-forming connection approvals SMA Australia has supported, reflecting the company’s deep experience and trusted role in Australia’s renewable energy sector.
Setting a New Benchmark in Grid-Forming Technology
Eurimbula will be among the first utility-scale hybrid projects in the NEM to deploy grid-forming technology at this magnitude. SMA’s grid-forming inverters will enable the BESS to deliver essential services—including fast frequency response, synthetic inertia, and fault ride-through—functions traditionally provided by synchronous generators.
“This project is a big step up for SMA and the renewables sector in Australia,” said Tim Hale, Director of Sales – Large Scale & Projects at SMA Australia. “It will be the largest NEM-connected solar & battery hybrid project in Australia, and its successful development thus far clearly demonstrates how SMA’s grid-forming technology can be scaled to meet the NEM’s needs.
“Grid events such as the recent blackout in Spain highlight the vulnerabilities of power systems with increasing levels of renewable generation. It is more important than ever to invest in fast-acting, modern system strength solutions — like grid-forming batteries — to support solar and wind generation whilst maintaining system reliability. SMA is proud to support Elements Green and Queensland’s clean energy targets, proving that hybrid systems can deliver both generation capacity and stability.”
“SMA’s locally based grid modelling team has been instrumental in supporting Elements Green and their grid consultant; EPEC Group in achieving AEMO and Powerlink grid connection approval for the project — no small feat given Australia’s rigorous connection standards.”
A Flagship Project for Elements Green
Toby Roberts, Country Director Australia, at Elements Green, said: “We are proud to have achieved this approval and the technical support from SMA has been invaluable. Securing the 5.3.4A letter brings us significantly closer to breaking ground this year. We are now focused on completing the remaining approvals to enter the construction phase as planned.”
While Eurimbula marks Elements Green’s first Australian project, the company is advancing a 3.75 GW development pipeline locally, and more than 14 GW globally.
Notes to Editor: Technical Details
SMA Australia’s hybrid system delivery includes:
Solar PV: 180 x MVPS 4200-S2 systems with Sunny Central 4200-UP inverters
Battery Storage: 212 x MVPS 4200-S2 systems with Sunny Central Storage 3600-UP-XT inverters
Grid Integration: 4 x SMA Power Plant Managers (PPM), each managing a separate Dispatchable Unit Identifier (DUID) for optimal NEM compliance and dispatchability
By enabling large-scale, grid-forming storage projects like Eurimbula, SMA Australia and Elements Green are helping to shape a resilient, reliable, and renewable energy system—ready to power Australia’s future.
About Elements Green
Elements Green is an international renewable energy developer specialising in utility-scale solar and battery storage projects. With offices in Europe, the United Kingdom and Australia, the company delivers energy infrastructure projects across the full development cycle – from land acquisition to commissioning.
Eurimbula marks Elements Green’s first development in the Australian market and reflects the company’s ambition to deliver large-scale clean energy infrastructure across the Asia-Pacific region. As the country’s largest hybrid energy project to date, the Eurimbula Hybrid Facility is strategically embedded within EG’s global development pipeline of over 14 GW. This includes the Staythorpe Hybrid Project (>1 GWp PV, 360 MW BESS) in the United Kingdom and several recently approved storage assets across Europe.
About SMA
As a leading global specialist in photovoltaic and storage system inverter technology, the SMA Group is setting the standards today for the decentralized and renewable energy supply of tomorrow. SMA’s portfolio contains a wide range of efficient PV and battery inverters, holistic system solutions for PV and battery-storage systems of all power classes, intelligent energy management systems and charging solutions for electric vehicles and power-to-gas applications. Digital energy services as well as further comprehensive services round off SMA’s range. SMA solar inverters installed worldwide in the last 20 years, with a total output of around 144 GW, help avoid over 64 million tons of CO2 emissions annually. SMA’s multi-award-winning technology is protected by more than 1,600 patents and utility models. Since 2008, the Group’s parent company, SMA Solar Technology AG, has been listed on the Prime Standard of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (S92) and is listed in the SDAX index.
For all media enquiries please contact:
Verena Griffiths
verena.griffiths@sma-australia.com.au
0420 228 245