$400 million Aldoga solar farm set to deliver 250 jobs

Acciona Energy’s plans for a $400 million solar farm have formally been approved after the State Coordinator-General gave the green light on its development application.

Development of the 250 megawatt solar farm is expected to generate a construction peak workforce of up to 240 jobs and 10 ongoing jobs.

Queensland Manufacturing, Infrastructure and Planning Minister Cameron Dick said the solar farm would generate about 250 megawatts of energy at maximum capacity which is enough to supply approximately 122,000 homes annually.

“Over the lifetime of the project, this will see a total of $1.5 million to $3.6 million put back into Gladstone and surrounding areas.” Acciona has committed to the local sourcing of parts and services from the Gladstone region.

Queensland energy minister Anthony Lynham said the solar farm will help us to reduce emissions and “tackle a changing climate”.

Acciona Energy is expected to invest $50,000 to $120,000 from the project back into the community each year with a community benefit fund to be established.

Benefits

The project will:

• Provide a substantial additional economic focus in the Gladstone region
• Generate up to 240 jobs and provide 5-10 ongoing full-time positions on site once operational
• Result in the establishment of a Community Benefits Sharing Plan to strategically deliver added value to the local region over the life cycle of the project
• Provide a sustainable and renewable source of energy for the region, with clean energy equivalent to the consumption of around 122,000 homes annually

Construction is expected to commence in early 2020, and will take 12-18 months for completion.