Press Release | Sydney, Australia | 01.05.2025 | 2 min read
Hitachi Energy has been selected to design, supply, and supervise the installation of high-voltage circuit breakers and disconnectors (up to 500 kilovolts) for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ); the first REZ in New South Wales (NSW).
Sydney, Australia, May 1, 2025 – Hitachi Energy has been selected to design, supply, and supervise the installation of high-voltage circuit breakers and disconnectors (up to 500 kilovolts) for the Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone (REZ); the first REZ in New South Wales (NSW). The project is considered a key step towards achieving the State’s legislated renewable energy targets and Australia’s energy transition towards Net Zero 2050.
The NSW Government is in the development phase for the REZ to export solar and wind electricity to the rest of the network. Hitachi Energy will work with the network operator, ACEREZ, a partnership of ACCIONA, COBRA and Endeavour Energy, to deliver, develop and maintain the network. The REZ is expected to deliver 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of new network capacity by 2028.
The contract follows an extensive process of design and scope clarifications, during which Hitachi Energy stood out as a global technology leader in high-voltage innovation and service, emerging as the preferred and sole supplier for the project.
Hitachi Energy’s circuit breakers and disconnectors are critical components of the transmission infrastructure for the REZ project. They will enable easier and more efficient integration of renewables and smoother power transfer to help accelerate Australia’s energy transition towards a sustainable energy future for all.
The flexible, high-performance breaker technology offers significantly reduced installation time due to control wire bundling. It comes tested for high transient recovery voltage (TRV) performance, high mechanical endurance, and switching capabilities.
With its extensive local service footprint, including a service center and experienced field service crew in NSW, Hitachi Energy will work with ACEREZ to install, service, and optimize the specialized equipment for reliability, life extension, and cost reductions through improved performance over its long lifespan.
The Central-West Orana REZ is part of the NSW Government’s Electricity Infrastructure Roadmap, which will transform the electricity system towards the State’s legislated 12 GW target of renewable energy generation and 2 GW of long-duration storage by 2030.2
“Together with the NSW Government and ACEREZ, we are enabling NSW to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets by harnessing abundant solar and wind resources and moving towards a carbon-neutral energy future.”
Bernard Norton, Country Managing Director, Hitachi Energy in Australia
About Renewable Energy Zones
Renewable Energy Zones (REZs) are the equivalent of modern-day power stations. They combine renewable energy infrastructure, including generators (such as solar and wind farms) storage (such as batteries and pumped hydro) and high-voltage transmission infrastructure. By connecting multiple renewable energy projects and electricity storage, these REZs capitalize on economies of scale to deliver cost-efficient, reliable, and clean electricity for homes and businesses in NSW.3
Footnotes
1 https://www.acciona.com/updates/news/acciona-develop-one-australias-largest-green-power-grids/
2 https://www.energyco.nsw.gov.au/about-energyco/electricity-infrastructure-roadmap
The Central-West Orana Renewable Energy Zone near Dubbo is a key step towards NSW-legislated 12 GW renewable energy target by 2030.
Hitachi Energy is a global technology leader in electrification, powering a sustainable energy future with innovative power grid technologies with digital at the core. Over three billion people depend on our technologies to power their daily lives. With over a century in pioneering mission-critical technologies like high-voltage, transformers, automation, and power electronics, we are addressing the most urgent energy challenge of our time – balancing soaring electricity demand, while decarbonizing the power system. With an unparalleled installed base in over 140 countries, we co-create and build long-term partnerships across the utility, industry, transportation, data centers, and infrastructure sectors. Headquartered in Switzerland, we employ over 50,000 people in 60 countries and generate revenues of around $16 billion USD.
https://www.hitachienergy.com
https://www.linkedin.com/company/hitachienergy
https://x.com/HitachiEnergy
Through its Social Innovation Business (SIB) that brings together IT, OT (Operational Technology) and products, Hitachi contributes to a harmonized society where the environment, wellbeing, and economic growth are in balance. Hitachi operates globally in four sectors – Digital Systems & Services, Energy, Mobility, and Connective Industries – and the Strategic SIB Business Unit for new growth businesses. With Lumada at its core, Hitachi generates value from integrating data, technology and domain knowledge to solve customer and social challenges. Revenues for FY2024 (ended March 31, 2025) totaled 9,783.3 billion yen, with 618 consolidated subsidiaries and approximately 280,000 employees worldwide. Visit us at https://www.hitachi.com.
