Korea Zinc's Richmond Valley Project clears Australian environmental and grid connection approvals

Korea Zinc's large-scale renewable energy project in Australia — the Richmond Valley Solar and Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) Project — is set to accelerate after clearing all major government reviews and permitting requirements through its Australian subsidiary Ark Energy.

Korea Zinc announced Friday that Ark Energy had secured grid connection approval for the Richmond Valley Project from Australian transmission network operator TransGrid and the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).

The grid connection approval follows development consent and an environmental impact assessment (EIA) clearance, completing the full suite of regulatory hurdles for the project. Ark Energy obtained development approval from the New South Wales state government in October 2025, and received EIA approval from Australia's Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water in December of that year.

The Richmond Valley Project involves constructing a 2,200 MWh, 275 MW long-duration BESS alongside a 200 MW solar farm near Myrtle Creek in the Richmond Valley region of northeastern New South Wales.

The 2.2 million kWh storage capacity is equivalent to roughly one month of electricity consumption for about 7,400 average Seoul households. In battery terms, it matches the combined battery capacity of approximately 26,000 Tesla Model Y electric vehicles — one of the world's best-selling EV models.

"The ESG management efforts of Chairman Choi Yun-beom and Korea Zinc to find new growth engines amid the irreversible global shift toward decarbonization and clean energy are bearing fruit," a Korea Zinc official said. "We will continue to enhance corporate and shareholder value through our differentiated vision and business results."

Meanwhile, Ark Energy had previously secured both NSW state development approval and Australian federal EIA approval for Stage 1 of the Bowmans Creek wind farm project.

In addition, the company signed a Long-Term Energy Service Agreement with the NSW government in 2025, and is expanding its renewable energy portfolio across Australia with projects under development in Queensland and Tasmania.