‘Australia solar farm construction starts soon’
By Lenie Lectura – June 26, 2020
from Business Mirror
AC Energy on Thursday said the construction of the 720-megawatt (MW) solar farm in Australia would commence soon following the signing of the connection agreements with Australian power grid operator TransGrid.
UPC/AC Renewables Australia, a joint venture between AC Energy and UPC Renewables, recently signed the connection agreements with TransGrid.
The said agreements will enable the 720 MW New England Solar Farm to connect with TransGrid’s 330kV transmission line from Tamworth to Armidale in Northeast New South Wales, and the delivery of connection services over the life of the project.
“This is an exciting development to finalize the connection agreement for one of the largest solar farms in the national electricity market,” said UPC/AC Renewables CEO Anton Rohner. “This was one of the last pieces of the development puzzle, and we will now look to commence construction activities shortly.”
The development approval from the NSW Independent Planning Commission was obtained earlier this year. This allowed the commencement of early works for construction. Construction will take around three years with generation being brought on line in stages.
The New England solar farm near Uralla in New South Wales, once fully constructed, will produce enough renewable energy to power around 250,000 homes each year.
“This is the culmination of three years of hard work by our team and excellent engagement with the local community. The end result will be a solar farm development that adds significant value to the local community over the long term through investment and jobs. I thank the Uralla community for supporting the project,” said Rohner.
UPC/AC Renewables is also planning to install a large scale lithium-ion battery storage facility, which will assist with electricity grid stability and provide firm capability to deliver energy at peak periods, lowering prices for consumers.
Patrice Clausse, COO of AC Energy International, said “Building this new solar farm will be a remarkable achievement, one that will put UPC/AC Renewables at the forefront of harnessing Australia’s strong potential in renewable energy and its world class solar resources.”
The project will bring significant value to the local community with up to 500 direct construction jobs during the construction period with opportunities to employ locals from Uralla and the region.
A community fund was also created that will start with $100,000 dollars in the first year of construction, and ramp up to $180,000 per annum when the project is fully commissioned.
