Privately-owned Australian renewable energy company Epuron has announced that the newly expanded Uterne Solar Plant in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory – one of the largest solar power projects in Australia – is now fully operational.
The company expanded the project from 1 megawatt to 4.1 megawatts, while PV manufacturer SunPower was in charge of the construction.
With the expansion, Alice Springs now has one of the highest penetration levels of solar in Australia and has the capacity to satisfy the needs of around 1,100 homes. Its output is being sold to local utility Territory Generation under a long-term off-take contract.
“We are delighted to add the Uterne expansion to our growing portfolio of operational solar assets. Uterne is the largest solar farm in Australia with sun tracking technology which captures more energy consistently throughout the day,” said Martin Poole, Epuron Solar Executive Director.
“Power and Water Corporation is proud to have facilitated the development of solar projects in Alice Springs. We have been a strong supporter of solar energy in the Northern Territory for over twenty years,” said Trevor Horman, Manager of Sustainable Energy.
The scheme was funded 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,” CEFC CEO Oliver Yates said.
“Expanding Uterne demonstrates Epuron Solar’s commitment to deploying more clean energy in Australia. We’re pleased to continue supporting utilising SunPower’s high efficiency solar technology and 30 years of industry experience,” said Jorg Heinemann, SunPower executive Vice President, Power Plants.
