The Australian government has given the thumbs up to solar tracker distributor and project developer Skylab’s plan to build an up to 800-MW solar park with storage in Queensland.
Solar panels. Featured Image: pornvit_v/Shutterstock.com
The Punchs Creek Solar Farm will generate green electricity to meet the demand of about 300,000 local homes, according to the government’s statement released recently.
The photovoltaic (PV) complex will be built in two phases of 400 MW each and will be coupled with a 250-MW battery energy storage system (BESS). More than 1.7 million solar panels will be installed on agricultural land in Queensland’s Southern Downs region, about 64 km south-west of Toowoomba. The selected site has direct access to the Powerlink Transmission Network.
The project will support Queensland’s goal of sourcing 50% of its power from renewables by the end of the decade amid the coal phase-out. It was cleared by the Queensland’s Toowoomba Regional Council in April.
“We want to unlock Australia’s potential to be a world leader in renewable energy. I’ve now ticked off 47 renewable energy projects which will power over 3 million homes. And we have a record 134 renewables projects in the approval pipeline,” said Tanya Plibersek, Minister for the Environment and Water.
Renewables Now