ACCIONA Energy will construct a $500 million solar farm in Queensland that will support hundreds of jobs and boost the local economy.
The giant solar farm will be built on 1,250 hectares of state-owned land at Aldoga which was awarded to the company under a 30-year Agreement for Lease.
Announcing the project, State Development Minister Cameron Dick said the solar farm will have the capacity to generate up to 265 megawatts (AC), enough to power some 122,000 households.
“This invaluable project will support up to 240 construction jobs and 10 ongoing jobs, and better yet, the company will adopt Buy Queensland and Gladstone Buy Local procurement policies, giving preference to local sub-contractors and manufacturers,” the Minister continued.
“As part of the lease agreements, Acciona Energy 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.”
“Combined with the renewable energy that will be generated, and the lease payments that will be made to the State, this project represents a major boost to the local community – economically, environmentally and socially.”
Energy Minister Dr Anthony Lynham said the Aldoga solar plant will to the grid via Powerlink’s Larcom Creek substation.
“This is another project to join Queensland’s renewable energy pipeline of jobs and investment,” he said.
“Another 23 large-scale projects, totalling 2,200 megawatts, are currently financially committed or under construction. These projects will create almost 3600 jobs during construction and boost investment by around $4.2 billion.”
