Sanjeev Gupta gets the green light for its $350m Cultana Solar farm – part of a $US 1 billion renewable energy plan for SA

The $350 million Cultana Solar Farm at Whyalla – part of Sanjeev Gupta’s $US1 billion renewable energy plan for the Upper Spencer Gulf – has won development approval.

Sanjeev Gupta Photo by DENIS CHARLET / AFP.

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The $350 million Cultana Solar Farm at Whyalla – the first project in Sanjeev Gupta’s $US1 billion renewable energy plan for the Upper Spencer Gulf – has won development approval.

Planning Minister Stephan Knoll has signed off on SIMEC Energy Australia’s 280MW solar farm and the company hopes to begin work some time after June.

Chief executive Marc Barrington said SIMEC was still working to secure financial close on the project, saying it was in the final stages of those negotiations.

About 350 people would find construction work on the site at the corner of Industry Drive and McBryde Tce, and there would be 10 ongoing jobs there once it was finished.

Construction will take about 18 months.

The project would generate 600GWh of energy per year, which is enough to power almost 100,000 homes.

Mr Barrington said SIMEC had worked closely with the Whyalla community on its plans, and wanted to provide jobs for as many locals as possible, including the Barngarla indigenous community.

“We’ll also have an apprenticeship program and we’ll look at taking on folks from the local community, with the aim of allowing those apprenticeships to go from construction into operations and maintenance,” he said.

A $350 million solar farm planned for Whyalla has won development approval. Picture: Hollie Adams/The Australian

“We’ll start with the local community first and if we can’t find or train the requisite skills, we’d go to the broader Upper Spencer Gulf area and then wider again, to South Australia. “Absolutely the predominance will be South Australian-based workers.”

The 1100ha development site is 550 times the size of Adelaide Oval.

During consultation, adjacent landowner Adani Renewables raised concerns about environmental aspects of the Cultana plans.

The company said rare slender-billed thornbills, vulnerable western grasswrens and migratory waders could be impacted.

“The SIMEC Zen proposal does not appear to substantially consider the impacts of, or provide mitigation measures for, the threatened fauna species likely to occur in the neighbouring Whyalla Saltfields,” the Adani Renewables submission said.

It also raised issues around traffic, the project’s impact on surface water and the dust generated during construction, which it said “has the potential to cause a safety hazard”.

A report to the State Commission Assessment Panel said the northern side of the development included large amounts of remnant native vegetation that may provide habitat for protected bird species.

SIMEC had amended its application to reduce the amount of native vegetation it needed to remove, from 871ha to 448ha.

It would also pay $3.4 million to the Native Vegetation Fund, which helps restore, revegetate or protect vegetation across South Australia.

“All our reports have come back suggesting that any impact that we have is within the guidelines and minimal,” Mr Barrington said.

“Native vegetation clearance to facilitate construction and access will be minimised to the extent practicable. Clearance is not expected to impact on significant wildlife corridors or bushfire safety.”

Mr Knoll has approved the application, following a recommendation by the State Commission Assessment Panel.

Before work starts, SIMEC must complete an environmental management plan addressing how a range of issues will be managed, including native flora and fauna, air quality and dust, and Aboriginal heritage.

Whyalla Council chief executive Chris Cowley said the project would drive down power prices in SA, making his town, and the rest of the state, more attractive for investment.

“This type of investment, of this size, sends a very clear message to the wider community about how suited the region is for this kind of industry,” Mr Cowley said.

SIMEC’s $1 billion energy plan also includes cogeneration at GFG’s Whyalla Primary Steel plant using waste gas; the world’s largest lithium‐ion battery near Port Augusta; and pumped hydro projects at GFG’s Middleback Ranges mining operations.

The battery project is awaiting development approval, with work due to start next year. SIMEC is yet to begin the development application process for its pumped hydro proposal.

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