A Chinese firm has been tapped to build the $350 million Cultana Solar Farm outside Whyalla
The design and construction of the $350 million Cultana Solar farm will be done by a Chinese firm with experience in the sector.
SA Business
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Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG Alliance has announced that Chinese company Shanghai Electric will design and build its $350 million Cultana Solar Farm just outside Whyalla.
The 280 megawatt solar farm received development approval last month, and construction is hoped to start early in the new financial year.
About 350 jobs are expected to be created during construction of the farm, which is part of an overall one gigawatt renewable energy plan.
“Set to be one of Australia’s largest solar farms, Cultana will deliver a range of benefits to the local community, increasing reliability and security of the state’s electricity supply and environmental benefits,’’ GFG said.
“The project is set to boost local employment, with about 350 positions during construction.’’
GFG has previously said it wants to eventually invest in up to 10GW of power in the renewables space in Australia, and Mr Gupta reiterated that today.
“Cultana Solar Farm is an ambitious project that will deliver globally‐competitive renewable energy on a large scale to power‐heavy industry. It is a great step forward in our vision to revitalise industry and we look forward to working with our partners to bring our renewables projects to life,” Mr Gupta said.
“Our planned Next‐Gen project will ignite a new industrial revolution in Australia. These projects are shining examples of GFG’s commitment to create a sustainable future for industry and build stronger local communities.”
Shanghai Electric will provide engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) for the project. The company has previously been involved with the world’s largest concentrated solar power project in Dubai.
The Cultana farm will provide power to the Whyalla Steelworks, also owned by GFG, and a range of government and commercial customers.
cameron.england@news.com.au
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