A major milestone has been marked for the 87MW Beryl Solar Farm in New South Wales, with First Solar reaching financial close for the development. In addition, Downer EDI has also been awarded a $150 million engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contract for the project.
Under their EPC contract, Downer has been issued a notice to proceed with construction and works are expected to take up to 12 months to complete.
“Large scale project are critical to our regional communities and we are looking forward to partnering with First Solar to deliver the Beryl Solar Farm that will see significant economic and environmental benefits in regional New South Wales.
“This includes direct and indirect job creation, support for local businesses, and the development of skills in a growing renewable sector,” Downer Chief Executive Officer Grant Fenn said.
The development of the Beryl Solar Farm is set to support the local economy, with up to 150 construction and operational jobs generated from the project.
The solar farm is located approximately five kilometres from Gulgong in the State’s central tablelands.
Once completed, the Beryl Solar Farm will be able to produce enough green energy to power up to 25,000 average homes in NSW. The solar farm will also be generating electricity without the use of water, without air emissions and no waste production.
“We look forward to working with Downer to successfully deliver the project. The Beryl Solar Farm will be one of the first large scale renewable projects to use First Solar’s Series 6 thin film photovoltaic modules. Series 6 modules deliver more watts per connection than crystalline silicon modules. This enables Downer to realise construction cost savings while maximising the energy production for the project site, resulting in a lover levelised cost of energy,” First Solar Vice President of Asia Pacific Steven Jackson said.
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Source: Downer Group, News.com.au, First Solar