A joint venture between Gransolar (GRS) and ACCIONA Industrial, led by GRS, is set to construct one of Australia’s largest photovoltaic plants.
The Lilyvale Solar Farm will have a capacity of 100 MWac, and the project will be carried out as a turnkey or EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) contract for global solar developer Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV). The works have already begun and the project should be completed by the end of 2018.
The new plant is located in Lilyvale, 50 km north east of Emerald in the state of Queensland. The plant will cover approximately 396 hectares and will consist of 379,260 photovoltaic modules with single-axis tracking systems and 25 transformer centres. Approximately 200 workers will be involved in its construction and, once operational, the plant will supply clean energy to more than 45,000 households in the region, preventing the emission of 175.000 tons of CO2 every year.
Cameron Garnsworthy, Managing Director of FRV Australia, highlighted the importance that the project has for the generation of clean energy in the country. “Lilyvale Solar Farm – along with FRV’s other large-scale solar developments installed or under construction, will contribute around 280 MWac of clean energy capacity and brings the total value of FRV’s solar investments in the Australian renewable energy sector to around A$ 700 million (US$ 550 million)”.
“We are proud to be working with Australian companies and authorities to drive forward a competitive renewable sector,” he added.
“ACCIONA has a significant presence in Australia, and this project represents another step in our commitment to developing sustainable and innovative infrastructure in the country. As part of this strategy, at the start of this year ACCIONA acquired Geotech Group, which is also working on Lilyvale through its John Beever Australia business.” said Ramón Jiménez, Managing Director of ACCIONA Industrial.
“GRS continues to expand internationally, launching its first project in Australia having developed and constructed plants in Europe, America, Africa and the Middle East. Australia marks an important qualitative step, because it’s a very important market for us with major investment expected in photovoltaic solar energy in the coming years”, explained Domingo Vegas, Chairman of Gransolar.
ACCIONA and Gransolar (GRS) have extensive experience of constructing large-scale photovoltaic plants, both proprietary and for third-party clients. Recently awarded projects include construction of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park (Phase III) in Dubai in a consortium with Ghella, which will be the world’s largest photovoltaic plant once completed with a peak capacity of 1,054 MW.
ACCIONA is a leading group for sustainable infrastructure solutions and renewable energy projects around the world. It spans the entire value chain from design and construction through to operation and maintenance. With a presence in more than 40 countries and sales of €5.977 billion in 2016, the company is committed to contributing to the economic and social development of the communities in which it operates. ACCIONA seeks to lead the transition towards a low carbon economy, delivering quality and using innovative processes to optimise resource use and protect the environment in all of its projects. www.acciona.com
Gransolar (GRS) is a vertically integrated company, specialized in renewable energy projects, with more than 11 years of experience in the solar photovoltaic industry, operating on all sections of the renewable energy project value chain (except for technological components). Gransolar (GRS) has a wide international footprint. By September 2017, it had successfully completed the construction of 87 plants with more than 550MW capacity. In the O&M business line, operating more than 347MW. The strategy of Gransolar (GRS) is to develop, build, and operate a balanced portfolio of utility scale solar projects to meet the increasing demand for clean sustainable electricity at highly competitive prices. www.gransolar.com
FRV is a leading global solar development company with a development portfolio in the emerging solar markets including Australia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Since 2006, the management team has completed the construction, operation, maintenance and financing of over 650 MW AC of photovoltaic and CSP solar energy plants. Such projects represent more than $2.5 billion in total financings with more than 20 leading banks. www.frv.com
