The Uterne solar plant in Alice Springs has had a capacity boost from 1MW to 4.1MW and is now Australia’s largest completed solar farm using tracking technology.
The upgraded plant is supplying the Alice Springs electricity network, operated by the Northern Territory’s Power and Water Corporation. Its output is enough to meet the power needs of 1,100 homes.
Uterne II, built on land adjacent to Uterne I, is projected to produce 7230 megawatt hours of electricity per year. Combined, Uterne I and II will generate around 4% of Alice Springs’ electricity requirements and up to 8% of peak demand on a sunny day.
The original facility was built in 2011. In 2012, Uterne was acquired by Epuron, which has been developing wind and solar projects in Australia since 2003. Epuron’s other projects include Cullerin Range Wind Farm, Gullen Range Wind Farm and Silverton Wind Farm.
Uterne’s upgrade was financed by the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC).
“It’s pleasing to be supporting a project that is so important for the future of Alice Springs, demonstrating the potential for regional Australian communities to benefit from clean, cost-effective, locally generated solar energy,” said CEFC CEO Oliver Yates.
“The solar potential of Australia is obvious, and the CEFC stands ready to invest and help catalyse the finance required for the growth of utility-scale solar in Australia.”
The CEFC has already committed $78.8 million to direct investment in 72.5MW of large-scale solar projects valued at $231.4 million, including Moree Solar Farm and Australia’s largest off-grid solar and storage project at DeGrussa Copper Mine. The Corporation says it is also working further investment opportunities valued at over $200 million.
“The construction of more large-scale solar capacity will help drive down future construction and maintenance costs, as industry participants gain experience building and operating these projects,” said Mr. Yates
Elsewhere in the Alice Springs region, Alice Springs Airport (ASP) announced last week it will add more than 1,000 solar power panels to its existing PV installation, bringing the total capacity for the facility to 800kW.
Alice Springs is the perfect place for solar, with the area experiencing 350 cloudless days a year.
