WORLD FIRST: $125m Warwick solar farm hooked to grid
INSIDER LOOK: Job opportunities and education grants for Warwick residents.
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A WORLD-FIRST project was unveiled in Warwick today when the University of Queensland opened its 64 megawatt solar farm, allowing the university to offset 100 per cent of its electricity use with renewable power.
The Sladevale operation, which began construction in 2017, can power 160 gigawatt hours, the equivalent of more than 60,000 tonnes of coal.
UQ Vice-Chancellor Peter Hoj announced the university would offer two yearly scholarships to Warwick students, ensuring a bright collaboration between our region and the university for generations to come.
"We're very keen that people from this part of our state get the opportunity to get a great education," Mr Hoj said.
"We know that people who come from a region and go to a city university are the people most likely returning to the region and adding to its economic development."
State Minister for Natural Resources, Mines and Energy Anthony Lynham, who was at the opening today, said UQ and Warwick were leading the state's "renewable energy revolution".
"This is the shining light for other institutions to follow and other universities around the world will be watching us here today," he said.
"People would be blind to think Queensland is not leading the nation when it comes to renewable energy.
"We have the most reliable, cheapest power on the eastern seaboard, every nine minutes another rooftop solar installation is being made. We're well on our way of achieving 50 per cent renewable energy by 2030."
On back of the announcement for a $1.96 billion wind farm near Karara, Mr Lynham said the Southern Downs had the potential to become one of the country's future energy hubs.
"We have a vast amount of energy going to the Southern Downs and that's because we have strong transmission infrastructure into the Southern Downs. We have a large interconnecter into NSW and every summer those southern states rely on Queensland for its renewable energy," he said.
"Last summer, we kept the lights on in Sydney from power plants in Queensland and we'll do it again this summer."
At the peak of production, the 300km long farm employed 175 workers.
Now in the operation and maintenance stage, it will employ 5-10 full-time, local staff.
One of these workers will be facility manager Don Drane.
With the panels built to last 25 years, Mr Drane said he understood past agricultural concerns, but said the argument was null.
"This isn't grazing land that is lost. (The panels) can easily be removed," he said.
"I believe once the initial shock is past, people will quite quickly become accustomed to the appearance. It's hunkered down, it's not too obtrusive."
"And ultimately what it will do is provide a renewable energy source in the area and that is a valuable thing."
With panels producing more than enough energy to power UQ campuses, project director Andrew Wilson said that power could, in turn, benefit Warwick residents too.
"The electricity grid is like a big lake, once you put energy into the central pool, everyone benefits from that electricity," he said.
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