There were several announcements from Queensland’s Government yesterday in relation to significant wind and solar power projects in the state.
The first was the signing of support deeds for large-scale solar projects near Collinsville, Oakey and Longreach.
“The execution of these deeds locks in Queensland’s Solar 150 long-term commitment to these projects, guaranteeing financial security and enabling these projects to reach financial close,” said Energy Minister Mark Bailey.
“This confirmation of the Whitsunday, Oakey and Longreach solar projects’ inclusion in the State’s Solar 150 program provides a 20 year revenue guarantee, meaning financial contracts can now be delivered and construction can begin.”
The Palaszczuk Government has committed to supporting up to 150 megawatts of large-scale solar power generation in Queensland.
The projects mentioned above:
- Whitsunday Solar Farm – 58 megawatts, $122 million project, 116 construction jobs
- Longreach Solar Farm – 15 megawatts, $29 million project, 30 construction jobs
- Oakey Solar Farm – 25 megawatt , $48 million project, 50 construction jobs
Yesterday also saw the approval of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Coopers Gap wind farm near Kingaroy. The project will create 350 construction jobs and 20 permanent jobs when it is operational in 2020. Coopers Gap wind farm is expected to contribute up to $4 million each year to the local economy.
The facility will be up to 460MW capacity and could potentially provide enough electricity to power more than 240,000 households. 1 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions will be avoided annually, the equivalent of taking about 320,000 cars off the road each year.
“This is a win for jobs and businesses in the local area, and for the environment generally,” said Minister for State Development Dr Anthony Lynham.
Finally, the Emerald Government Administration Office Building is set to go solar after some initial works on the building’s ceiling and lighting.
“Once those works are complete, we’ll be installing solar on the roof, which will not just improve the sustainability performance of the building, it will also reduce energy costs,” said Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni.
The future is also looking bright in Queensland in terms of interest in small-scale energy storage.
Earlier this week, the government announced results from the Household Energy Survey, which indicated 36 per cent of regional and 40 per cent of South-East Queensland households with solar panels intend installing battery systems within in the next three years.
