Is Australian Utility-Scale Solar Ready To Take Off?
Originally published on RenewEconomy.
Some time in the next few weeks, the first electricity from the first 100MW solar plant in Australia will be sent out to the national grid. The connection of the 102MW Nyngan solar farm in western NSW should finally lift Australia above the likes of the Dominican Republic in terms of large-scale solar. And it might just presage a surge of activity in large-scale solar in Australia.
The Nyngan solar farm – and its sister project, the 53MW solar farm in Broken Hill – are being built because of large grants that were awarded by the federal and state governments to the project developer, AGL Energy. The same is true of the 57MW Moree solar farm, being built by FRV, which will be the first to feature single axis tracking.
Three separate solar projects in the ACT have been, and are being built after bidding the lowest tariff in the territory’s renewable energy auctioning system, part of its plans to deliver 90 per cent renewable energy by 2020.
But now there is movement in other areas too.
Local councils are also investing in solar. Sunshine Coast is developing plans for a 15MW solar plant, and Fremantle has called for tenders for a 10MW solar plant on an old landfill site. Numerous other councils are considering solar as part of plans to make their regions more energy independent.
Miners are also coming to the party. Sandfire Resources has announced plans to build a 10.6MW solar plant at its copper mine in remote Western Australia, along with battery storage. The builder, German firm juwi Renewables, says numerous other miners are looking at solar PV to offset the soaring, and volatile, cost of diesel fuel.
Rio Tinto is building a solar plant with battery storage at its Weipa mine in Queensland, and a Peth-based company is once again canvassing the possibility of building a large scale solar plant near Kalgoorlie, again to provide electricity to miners.
But now there is movement in other areas too.
Local councils are also investing in solar. Sunshine Coast is developing plans for a 15MW solar plant, and Fremantle has called for tenders for a 10MW solar plant on an old landfill site. Numerous other councils are considering solar as part of plans to make their regions more energy independent.
Miners are also coming to the party. Sandfire Resources has announced plans to build a 10.6MW solar plant at its copper mine in remote Western Australia, along with battery storage. The builder, German firm juwi Renewables, says numerous other miners are looking at solar PV to offset the soaring, and volatile, cost of diesel fuel.
Rio Tinto is building a solar plant with battery storage at its Weipa mine in Queensland, and a Peth-based company is once again canvassing the possibility of building a large scale solar plant near Kalgoorlie, again to provide electricity to miners.
If the RET remains in a deadlock, however, it may fall to state and territory governments to fill in the gap. The ACT is preparing to hold a tender for 50MW of “next generation” solar technologies, one that is likely to draw interest from solar towers with storage, and also solar PV and battery storage.
Reprinted with permission.
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