Acciona Energy to Build 300MW Aldoga Solar Farm in Queensland

The state government of Queensland has announced that Acciona Energy, a Spanish renewables company, has won the bid to develop one of the biggest solar farms in Australia, installed in the centre of Queensland coal county.
RenewEconomy reported on its website that Cameron Dick, the Minister for State Development in Queensland, stated that Acciona would build, finance, construct, and manage the 300MW Aldoga solar farm in Gladstone. The project is estimated to cost around $500 million and will be established through a 30-year lease with the state government.
Cameron Dick said, “At maximum capacity, up to 265 megawatts (AC) will deliver the equivalent amount of energy needed to supply up to 122,000 households, which is around five times the number of households in Gladstone.”
He also mentioned that the project would provide approximately 240 construction jobs and 10 ongoing jobs. Acciona has also pledged to give preference to local sub-contractors and manufacturers for the work.
The article also reported, “As part of the lease agreement Acciona will also establish a community benefits fund of between $50,000 to $120,000 per year, representing between $1.5 million to $3.6 million over the 30-year lease, to be provided to local clubs, associations, and community groups in the region.”
Member for Gladstone Glenn Butcher praised the Aldoga project and considers it as a major breakthrough for the region as it will contribute to the economy.
“Our region is proving time and time again that we can attract large-scale developments and heavy-hitting projects, which is an enormous vote of confidence in our community and local economy. State development projects like this one have a huge role to play in building our region’s prosperity – these are the types of projects that will keep us moving forward as a community into the future,” Butcher said.
Aside from the Aldoga project, other large-scale solar projects are being considered and implemented across Queensland as it aims to attain 50 percent renewable energy by 2030.
Read the full report here.