Octopus Australia has appointed GHD to deliver construction management services for the Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery near Bungendore, New South Wales.
Under the appointment, GHD will act as construction manager across the delivery phase of the project, providing full-time site supervision alongside project management, contract administration, planning and scheduling, cost control, reporting and grid-connection support.
The role builds on an established working relationship between GHD and Octopus Australia, following previous engagements at the Fulham Solar Farm and Battery project, where GHD provided both construction management and owner’s engineering services. Octopus Australia is an energy fund manager and developer with a renewable energy portfolio and development pipeline exceeding $15 billion across wind, solar and battery storage.
Blind Creek is a farmer-led, utility-scale renewable energy project founded by local landholders and renewable energy specialists. The development co-locates large-scale solar generation and battery storage with ongoing sheep grazing, positioning the site as a leading example of agri-solar development in Australia. The project was recognised with the Clean Energy Council’s 2022 Community Engagement Award for its benefit-sharing approach and integration with agricultural operations.
At roughly three times the size of the Fulham project, Blind Creek represents a significant expansion of Octopus Australia’s operating portfolio. Once complete, the solar farm and battery are expected to deliver 300 megawatt (MW) of renewable generation capacity, with a 243 MW / 486 megawatt-hour battery system. At full output, the project is expected to be capable of supplying enough electricity to power more than 120,000 homes for 24 hours, with emissions abatement equivalent to removing around 200,000 cars from the road.
GHD’s Delivery Phase Services team will lead the construction management scope, drawing on specialist expertise from across the company’s Australian operations.
Craig Palmer, General Manager of Delivery Phase Services at GHD, said the appointment reflected the strength of the partnership between the two organisations and the value of continuity across major renewable projects.
“Establishing a unified management team across Octopus Australia’s Fulham and Blind Creek projects has enabled effective knowledge transfer and consistency in delivery,” Palmer said.
“By tailoring our organisational structure to prioritise quality, safety and flexible resourcing, we’ve been able to minimise costs and maximise value. We’re looking forward to bringing GHD’s major project delivery experience and technical capability to this landmark renewable energy development.”