Mission Zero: Solar farm projects proposed across Queensland
From cattle country converted to a sea of panels to rooftops littered with the sun soakers, solar projects are popping up right across regional Queensland.
Rockhampton
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From cattle country in the west to rooftops in south, and almost everywhere in between, solar panels are soaking up sunshine across Queensland and powering the state’s renewable energy future – literally.
Cleanly and quietly, solar photovoltaic panels on the roofs of homes and businesses are using energy from the sun to generate electricity in every corner of the aptly named Sunshine State.
As the energy source surges in popularity, big business is increasingly rolling out plans for sprawling, large-scale solar projects.
Across Queensland, there are dozens of proposed solar projects in the pipeline.
CENTRAL QUEENSLAND
In Central Queensland, a new $550 million solar power station near Rockhampton has a proposed construction start date in early January.
Edify Energy’s estimated start date for the Smoky Creek Solar PV Power Station (Solar Farm) is January 3, 2022, and if work starts then the company expects construction to be completed in December next year.
The project is located 75km south of Rockhampton and 40km north of Biloela and will stretch across about 1800 hectares of cleared land.
At peak construction, 350 people will be employed, predominantly local contractors.
Once complete, the new station could generate up to 1,194,000 MWh per annum of renewable energy – providing green, clean power to more than 206,000 homes.
Not too far away at Stanwell, about 30km west of Rockhampton, plans are also firming for The Moah Creek Renewable Energy Project, which forms part of a larger Central Queensland scheme by Central Queensland Power, a joint venture between Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Estate.
The project, which will combine 400MW of wind power with 200MW of solar and a 300MW battery, is now in its second phase – project feasibility – and, all things going as planned, should be operational by 2025.
It is expected to create 500 jobs for the region.
Development approval has also been granted to Eco-Energy World for its proposed Bouldercombe Solar Farm beside Powerlink’s Bouldercombe substation, 20km southwest of Rockhampton.
The 280 megawatt project is expected to include up to 900,000 solar modules and work is expected to start by mid-2023.
The project, which has been on hold while some ownership issues have been resolved, has now leapt into life following acquisition by Italian company Enel Green Power which currently undertaking geotech investigations.
Further south, British owned Eco Energy World is developing the Raglan Solar Farm and Battery Storage.
The $500 million green hydrogen and solar PV development at Raglan Station is expected to produce 300MW of solar energy and include a 200MW hydrogen plant and 100MW battery storage.
These projects come on top of already constructed projects including Lilyvale Solar Farm near Emerald, the Clermont Solar Farm near Clermont, the Emerald Solar Park and Lilyvale Solar Farm at Emerald, Middlemount Sun Farm, Adani’s Rugby Run Solar Farm near Moranbah and the Moura Solar Farm.
MACKAY AND WHITSUNDAYS
In the Mackay and Whitsundays area, there are more than half a dozen solar farm projects proposed for development.
At Collinsville, Vena Energy has plans for the Collinsville North Solar Project with a proposed generation capacity of up to 150 megawatts (MWac), with current peak capacity estimated to be 130MWdc.
The $200 million project is in close proximity to the decommissioned Collinsville coal-fired power station and was approved in November 2016 by the Whitsunday Regional Council.
Another major project is the Bowen Renewable Energy Hub which is poised to become the largest renewable baseload energy project in North Australia, generating more than 1,400 MW.
In the heart of Mackay’s industrial area, the Paget Solar Farm is also proposed and could create more than 100 jobs for the area.
WIDE BAY REGION
In 2020, Clean Energy Council data shows small-scale solar (systems up to 100kW) was responsible for 23.5 per cent of Australia’s clean energy generation and produced 6.5 per cent of the country’s total electricity and in Queensland, the area with the most solar installations was Bundaberg, with 15,302 household installations.
So it’s no surprise that more solar projects are expected in Bundaberg and across the wider Wide Bay region with a $130 million farm already under construction about 33km west of the city at Woolooga.
Workers have begun clearing land opposite the Woolooga substation off the Wide Bay Highway, which will become home to the 210 Megawatt farm.
More than 400,000 solar panels will be installed across 650ha of land north of the highway.
The project is expected to create more than 2609 jobs during construction.
Another 100MW Banksia Solar Farm by developer Venn Arbitir was approved in January at Isis River, not far from the Childers Solar Farm built by ESCO Pacific.
They will join the $175 million Susan River solar farm, also built by ESCO Pacific, and REST Energy’s Munna Creek solar farm at Maryborough.
WESTERN DOWNS
With the Queensland Government’s goal of being 50 per cent run by renewables in 2030, Western Downs Mayor Paul McVeigh said the Western Downs was leading the way to help the state reach that target.
The Elecseed’s solar farm in Kumbarilla is one of several solar farm projects which are set to begin, and will diversify the region’s energy production as s provide hundreds of job opportunities.
Some of the other groundbreaking solar farm projects included the Yellow Solar and Tilt Renewables Hopeland solar farm, Fotowatio Renewable Ventures Dalby solar farm, Engie Renewables Australia Hookswood solar farm, Daystar Energy Columboola solar farm, and Ubergy Pty Baking Board solar farm.
This will be partnered with two Everleigh Solar Park Crossroads solar farms, X-Elio Australia Cameby and Jimbour East solar farms, the SMK Consultants Rywung solar farm, and the Juwi Renewable Energy Chances Plain and Dulacca solar farms.
SOUTHERN DOWNS
The 64 megawatt solar farm at Warwick allows the University of Queensland to offset 100 per cent of its electricity use with renewable power.
The operation is located just 5km from Warwick at Sladevale and can power 160 gigawatts an hour, the equivalent of more than 60,000 tonnes of coal.
First announced in 2017, the world-first project was unveiled in July last year and was named a state-leading renewable energy resolution by State Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Anthony Lynham.
The farm allows UQ staff and students to learn and research renewables through energy projects, student placements and field trips by using the facility as a technology-teaching school.
Also used as an agistment service for about 500 sheep, the solar farm received further praise earlier this year for its sustainable and innovative partnership between graziers and solar providers.
SUNSHINE COAST
Sunshine Coast Council became the nation’s first to offset its entire electricity consumption after the construction of its 15MW solar farm on caneland at Valdora.
The project was forecast to deliver savings of $22m over a 30-year period.
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