Aldoga Solar Farm: Early Completion Success
Acciona Energía, a Spanish renewable energy company, has successfully finished building the 380MW Aldoga solar farm near Gladstone in Queensland, well ahead of schedule by seven months.
The construction of this solar project commenced almost a year ago in the heart of Queensland’s coal region and is set to become operational over the next six months, with the commissioning process expected to conclude by the end of the year.
First Electricity Exported to National Electricity Market
Acciona announced on Tuesday that the Aldoga solar farm has already sent its initial 850 kW burst of electricity into Australia’s main grid, the National Electricity Market (NEM), as part of the commissioning phase.
Once fully operational, the electricity generated by the Aldoga solar farm will be bought by Stanwell, a government-owned electricity generator in Queensland and one of the country’s major greenhouse gas emitters.
Michael O’Rourke, CEO of Stanwell, expressed excitement about the first energy production from the Aldoga Solar Farm, highlighting the collaboration with Acciona Energía and the potential for future projects in Queensland.
Stanwell aims to diversify its energy portfolio by incorporating both thermal and renewable energy sources, with plans to procure 100 per cent of the output from the Aldoga Solar Farm for sale in the spot market or to commercial and industrial customers.
Expansion of Renewable Energy Projects
Stanwell initiated a call for renewable energy projects in early 2021 and has since acquired or entered into agreements for more than a dozen wind, solar, and battery projects throughout Queensland.
Brett Wickham, Managing Director of Acciona Energía, emphasised the significance of large-scale solar projects in providing cost-effective electricity to the NEM, praising the efficiency and safety of the Aldoga Solar Farm construction.
In collaboration with global solar equipment supplier Nextracker, Acciona Energía ensured the use of Australian steel tubing for solar panel mounts, sourced from the Orrcon Steel facility in Northgate, near Brisbane.
Wickham commended the partnership with Nextracker and Orrcon in establishing a local steel and manufacturing supply chain for solar farms, underscoring the commitment to sustainable practices.
Joshua S. Hill, a journalist based in Melbourne with extensive experience in reporting on climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles, has been covering these topics for over 15 years. He has been a prominent figure in reporting on electric vehicles and clean energy for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012.
