ACT Solar Auction nets two big solar projects
Two new large-scale solar farms will be built in the ACT after Zhenfa Solar and Elementus Energy were announced as the winning bidders of the ACT’s Solar Auction.
Zhenfa Solar will develop the 13 MW Mugga Lane Solar Park, while Elementus will develop its 7 MW OneSun Capital Solar Farm.
“Including the FRV Royalla Solar Farm announced in September 2012, the three solar farms will produce renewable energy, equivalent to the power needs of 10,000 Canberra households, and zero emissions,” said Simon Corbell, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development.
“The delivery of this nation-leading project is a big step for the ACT towards our greenhouse gas reduction targets of 40% by 2020, and becoming a carbon neutral city by 2060.”
According to Corbell, the ACT Solar Auction will cost households a maximum of 45 cents per week when all three farms are operating in 2016. This is forecast to drop to 27 cents per household per week by 2021.
The three projects are predicted to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 1.4 million tonnes over the 20-year feed-in tariff entitlement period. All renewable energy certificates associated with the projects are surrendered to the ACT, helping to cut the city’s carbon emissions and achieve verified abatement additional to national pollution caps.
Capital costs of the three proposals combined will exceed $100 million. The three projects are also expected to result in the employment of approximately 165 people during construction.
The three farms are expected to be operational by 2014-15.
CICCADA project to analyse Australia's consumer energy
The $4.3m initiative will examine the use of consumer energy resources in order to understand how...
NSW EV charging network expands
A new initiative has brought 39 pole-mounted kerbside chargers to Sydney’s inner west, with...
SA Power Networks to trial eco-switchgear
The network operator will be extending an existing partnership with Schneider Electric in order...
