Acciona set to build new 250MW Aldoga Solar Farm in QLD

The Queensland Government has given the green light to the development of Acciona Australia’s proposed 250MW Aldoga Solar Farm, which is going to be located approximately 20 kilometres north-west of Gladstone.

In April of last year, Acciona signed a 30-year agreement to lease the project site at the Gladstone State Development Area (SDA).

“At maximum capacity the $400 million solar farm will generate around 250 megawatts of energy, which is enough to supply approximately 122,000 homes annually.

“The power generated will be fed into the national electricity grid via a connection into the Powerlink Larcom Creek Station,” Minister for State Development, Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Cameron Dick said.

Project site (source: Queensland Government)

Acciona is also committed to set up a community benefit fund, which the company will be investing $50,000 to $120,000 from the project each year to give back to the community. The community benefit fund will be used to fund scholarship and education programs; research and development programs, in partnership with CQU; as well as sponsorship and small grant programs for community groups and not-for-profits.

“Over the lifetime of the project, this will see a total of $1.5 million to $3.6 million put back into Gladstone and surrounding areas,” Mr Dick added.

According to Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher, locals will be able to see progress happening at the project site as two meteorological monitoring (MET) stations are being installed to help gather data on climatic conditions in the region.

“The information gathered will help fine tune the design of the solar farm, ensuring it is as productive as possible,” Mr Butcher said.

Project site's proximity to the Powerlink Larcom Creek Station (source: Queensland Government)

The Aldoga Solar Farm is set to contribute to the State’s renewable energy target of 50 per cent by 2030.

The development of this large-scale renewable energy project is anticipated to create up to 240 jobs during construction and 10 ongoing positions once it is operational.

Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Dr Anthony Lynham said: “The proponent will also adopt Buy Queensland and Gladstone Buy Local procurement policies, giving preference to local sub-contractors and manufacturers.”

Upon the project’s development approval, the independent Coordinator-General set strict conditions that will ensure adverse impacts - including construction traffic, visual impacts and stormwater flow - are managed properly.

Construction on Aldoga Solar Farm is expected to commence in early 2020 and will take 12-18 months to complete.

Want to stay up to date with the latest industry news and project updates? Subscribe to Felix Project News today.

Source: Queensland Government (1, 2); Acciona Australia; Renew Economy