Queensland’s Western Downs Council has approved the development of a new 250-megawatt (MW) solar farm, 25 km from the town of Wandoan. This is the council’s eighth solar power farm approval.
Delgar solar farm, a Shell Australia project, is expected to initially generate hundreds of jobs in the region. It’s also anticipated the project will deliver ongoing benefits to the region beyond the initial stages.
The new solar farm will cover 400 hectares of land. It will be able to connect to the grid through the Powerlink Wandoan substation.
The project is expected to add value to existing resource industries, and to boost the local economy. Between 500 and 800 jobs are tipped to be generated during construction. Mayor Paul McVeigh indicated the project should also lead to other opportunities in the region.
Western Downs aims to be Australia’s energy capital
The move fits with Western Downs Council’s goal to become the ‘Energy Capital of Australia’. Mr McVeigh says the project cements Western Downs as a domestic and international leader in renewable energy production.
Earlier this year, Western Downs approved a 300MW solar farm at Columboola. Other local projects include the Equis Energy solar farm, also near Wandoan, and a 110MW PV solar power farm in the Darling Downs.
Mr McVeigh stated earlier this year that the secret to attracting multi-million-dollar solar projects was the fast-tracking of approvals. He said Western Downs had recently approved four projects within six months. In some cases, large-scale projects were granted council approval within a matter of weeks.
Australia’s sunny climate ‘ideal’ for large-scale solar
The Clean Energy Council says Australia’s climate is ideal for including large-scale commercial solar power in its energy mix. Australia has the highest solar radiation per square metre of any continent, according to Geoscience Australia. This is particularly so in the country’s centre and north-west.
Queensland’s sunny climate and its wide-open plains are considered to provide ideal conditions for large solar farm developments. As a result, we may see many more solar power plants constructed in western Queensland in the future.
