GHD to lead construction management for Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery

GHD, a leading global professional services company, has been appointed by Octopus Australia (OA) to deliver construction management services (CMS) for the Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery - an innovative renewable energy project near Bungendore, New South Wales.

As construction manager, GHD will provide comprehensive services including full-time site supervision, project management, contract administration, planning, scheduling, cost control, reporting, and grid connection support.

This appointment builds on GHD’s existing relationship with OA, following previous engagements for construction management and owners engineering services at the Fulham Solar Farm and Battery project. Octopus Australia is an energy fund manager and developer harnessing capital and expertise to accelerate the energy transition, with a portfolio and pipeline of over $15 billion across wind, solar and battery storage projects.

The Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery facility was founded by local farmers and renewable energy experts, aiming to unlock the potential of their land through a farmer-led, utility-scale solar and battery project that co-locates renewable energy generation with sheep farming. The project was recognised with the Clean Energy Council’s 2022 Community Engagement Award for its benefit-sharing and agri-solar initiatives.

At three times the size of Fulham Solar Farm and Battery, Blind Creek will add to OA’s growing portfolio of renewable energy projects. When complete, the facility is expected to be able to power more than 120,000 homes for 24 hours, with a renewable energy capacity of 300 Megawatts (MW) – the equivalent of removing 200,000 cars from the road – and a battery capacity of 243 MW / 486 MWh.

GHD’s Delivery Phase Services (DPS) team will lead the construction management services, supported by specialist GHD teams from across Australia.

Craig Palmer, GHD’s DPS General Manager, said, “This win strengthens the relationship between GHD and OA, and showcases our cross-regional collaboration, client engagement, and commitment to delivering tailored, impactful solutions.

“In particular, our focus on establishing a unified management team across Octopus Australia’s Fulham and Blind Creek Solar Farm and Battery projects has enabled effective knowledge transfer. By tailoring our organisational structure to prioritise quality, safety, and flexible resourcing, we have helped minimise costs and maximise value. We are excited to bring GHD’s major project delivery experience, technical expertise, and commitment to efficiency and agility to this landmark project.”

About GHD

GHD is a leading professional services company operating in the global markets of water, energy and resources, environment, property and buildings, and transportation. Committed to a vision to make water, energy, and communities sustainable for generations to come, GHD delivers advisory, digital, engineering, architecture, environmental and construction solutions to public and private sector clients. Established in 1928 and privately owned by its people, GHD’s network of 12,000+ professionals is connected across 165 offices located on five continents.