The biggest solar power plants in Queensland.

Over the years, the state has seen a significant increase in solar power plants as it aims to transition to a more sustainable energy future. In this article, we will take a closer look at 7 of the biggest solar power plants in Queensland.

  1. Western Downs Green Power Hub Located in Chinchilla, this solar power plant has a capacity of 400 MW and covers an area of 540 hectares. It is currently the largest solar power plant in Queensland and one of the largest in the country. The project was developed by Neoen and completed in 2020. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 235,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Western Downs Green Power Hub
  2. Haughton Solar Farm Located in the Burdekin Shire, this solar power plant has a capacity of 500 MW and covers an area of 1,200 hectares. The project is being developed by Pacific Hydro and is expected to be completed in 2023. Once completed, the solar farm will generate enough electricity to power 180,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Haughton Solar Farm
  3. Western Downs Solar Project Located in Dalby, this solar power plant has a capacity of 350 MW and covers an area of 540 hectares. The project was developed by Neoen and completed in 2019. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 235,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Western Downs Solar Project
  4. Brigalow Solar Farm Located in the Western Downs Region, this solar power plant has a capacity of 120 MW and covers an area of 160 hectares. The project was developed by Lighthouse Infrastructure and completed in 2019. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 36,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Brigalow Solar Farm
  5. Ross River Solar Farm Located in Townsville, this solar power plant has a capacity of 148 MW and covers an area of 202 hectares. The project was developed by Palisade Investment Partners and ESCO Pacific and was completed in 2018. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 54,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Ross River Solar Farm
  6. Clare Solar Farm Located in Ayr, this solar power plant has a capacity of 100 MW and covers an area of 120 hectares. The project was developed by Fotowatio Renewable Ventures and completed in 2018. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 42,000 homes annually. Visit their website here: Clare Solar Farm
  7. Kidston Solar Project Located in Kidston, this solar power plant has a capacity of 50 MW and covers an area of 160 hectares. The project was developed by Genex Power and completed in 2017. The solar farm generates enough electricity to power 26,484 homes annually. Visit their website here: Kidston Solar Project

In addition to these solar farms, there are many other solar projects currently being developed in Queensland, with the state aiming to reach its target of 50% renewable energy by 2030.

It is clear that solar power has a bright future in Queensland, as the state continues to invest in large-scale solar projects and pave the way for a cleaner, more sustainable energy future. With its abundant sunshine and vast open spaces, it’s no surprise that Queensland is leading the charge in solar energy in Australia.

As the world continues to shift towards renewable energy, it’s exciting to see the progress being made in Queensland, and it will be interesting to see what new solar projects will be developed in the years to come.

If you’re interested in learning more about solar power in Queensland or how you can make the switch to renewable energy, there are many resources available online, including the Queensland Government’s official website on renewable energy.

In conclusion, Queensland is home to some of the biggest solar power plants in the country, with the top 10 solar farms listed above leading the way in generating clean, renewable energy for the state. With more solar projects in the pipeline, Queensland is well on its way to achieving its ambitious renewable energy targets and creating a more sustainable future for generations to come.

 

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Cohuna Solar Farm Commences Construction

The 34.2 MW Cohuna Solar Farm has commenced construction in Victoria after being chosen as one of the three winning tenders from the Victorian renewable energy auction.

Cohuna Solar Farm | Timeline, Investment, Jobs.

The 34.2MW Cohuna solar farm will be located in the shire of Gannawarra and will be built by Enel Green Power.

The solar project will consist of 87,000 bifacial modules mounted on single-axis trackers and will be connected to the grid via the Cohuna Zone Substation. Enel Green Power are investing ~US$42 million (AU$59 million) into the project, expected to commence operations by the end of this year.

Once completed, the project is expected to generate 77 GWh per year. The solar farm will be built in conjunction with local developer Leeson Group.

“Since EGP made its entry into the Australian renewable sector, we have already made great strides to expand our footprint in this competitive market,” said Antonio Cammisecra, Head of Enel Green Power (who also own the Bungala Solar Farm, Australia’s largest online solar farm), in comments repeated in PV Magazine.

Whilst the Cohuna Solar Farm’s output is a little more modest, it’s still an important step forwards for solar power in Australia and the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET). Under the VRET, six projects will be developed (three wind and three solar). With these projects the Victorian government hopes to source 25% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2020, 40% by 2025 and 50% by 2030.

If you’d like to read the press release from Enel please click here

If you’d like to know more about the developer, here’s a blurb about their company taken from their website:

Enel Green Power, the global renewable energy business line of the Enel Group, is dedicated to the development and operation of renewables across the world, with a presence in Europe, the Americas, Asia, Africa and Oceania. Enel Green Power is a global leader in the green energy sector with a managed capacity of over 43 GW across a generation mix that includes wind, solar, geothermal and hydropower, and is at the forefront of integrating innovative technologies into renewable power plants.

The other two winning projects which won the Victorian renewable energy auction are:

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Bungala Solar Farm receives final approval.

The 275MW Bungala Solar Farm, which is already under construction, has received final approval. Bought by Italian energy company Enel, the $400m solar farm built in conjunction with the Dutch Infrastructure Fund is expected to be ready in early 2019.

Bungala Solar Farm

Bungala Solar Farm
Bungala Solar Farm (site: commbank.com.au)

The farm will see 860,000 solar panels built on 585 hectares of Bungala Aboriginal Corporation land and, according to Enel, will create around 200 jobs during the construction period. We previously reported on the Bungala project back in April where it was to be built by Reach Solar and the agreement to sell it to Enel Green Energy and the Dutch Infrastructure Fund had been inked – they were just waiting on a financial close when has been reached this week. 

Head of Enel Green Power, Antonio Cammisecra, spoke about the Bungala Solar Project to news.com.au and said that it would be Enel’s initial foray into the Australian renewable energy market – with the goal to become a “key player” in the industry. “The project marks the first step of our growth strategy in a country which boasts such an abundant resource base and whose renewable capacity is expected to surge in the next years,” Cammisecra said.

The farm is to be ‘battery storage ready’, and, according to RenewEconomy, will most likely be the first major Australian solar farm to enter Australia’s FCAS (Frequency Control and Ancillary Services) market – as they’ll be utilising SMA inverters to provide voltage control for the grid. 

The Bungala solar farm has signed a PPA with Origin Energy – earlier this year Frank Calabria, the chief of Origin, discussed how important ‘big solar’ is for our future and how we need to work on the transition to renewables: “Energy markets around the world are in transition and Australia is no different,” Calabria said. “We must make sure our energy supply is secure, as Australian homes and businesses rely on it. At the same time, we must make sure energy continues to be affordable as we move Australia towards a cleaner supply.”  

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