Australia to go ahead with A$450 million photovoltaic solar power project

Australia will go ahead with a $446 million large-scale solar energy project to be built at two sites in New South Wales state, Resources Minister Martin Ferguson said on Saturday.

The 159 megawatt solar power project will be undertaken by solar photovoltaic manufacturer First Solar and gas retailer AGL Energy and should be completed by the end of 2015, Ferguson said in a statement.

The project will benefit from a government grant of nearly A$130 million, announced on Saturday, and will be built at the inland towns of Broken Hill and Nyngan. It should produce enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes, the minister said.

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