300 MW Rodds Bay Solar Farm achieves major milestone

Rodds Bay, CEC

The 300 MW Rodds Bay Solar Farm has achieved a significant milestone with the issuing of the Notice To Proceed (NTP) under its connection agreement with Powerlink Queensland.

Rodds Bay is developed by Renew Estate and will be one of Australia’s largest solar projects. It will connect to a strong part of Queensland’s 275kV transmission network south of Gladstone between Bororen and Rodds Bay. Rodds Bay has been granted planning approval from Gladstone Regional Council including approval to develop an 82MW/164MWh battery on site. The project has passed the required tests relating to system strength and generator performance standards and signed a connection agreement with Powerlink in January.

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Construction is scheduled to commence by Q3/Q4 2020, making this one of the most advanced solar developments in Queensland that can now be accelerated into construction.

Renew Estate director Simon Currie said, “We continue to passionately believe that this project will deliver significant and impactful benefits not just to Gladstone, but also the wider regional economy in Queensland across 2020 and 2021. Our vision for this solar farm has always been to create positive and enduring social and economic legacies, including the creation of hundreds of jobs during construction. It will be one of the first renewable energy projects located close to Gladstone and will play a pivotal role in enabling Gladstone to become the future energy capital of Australia. We are very grateful for the support from the Powerlink team throughout the development cycle.”

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Mr Currie said Renew Estate’s commitment since the beginning of Rodds Bay Solar Farm to use local service providers, contractors and industry remains steadfast.

“We currently have nearly 400 businesses and individuals on our database who have registered an interest in the construction or operational phase of the solar farm,” he said.

“This project can play a part in transitioning the local skilled workforce and build resiliency in this critical region for the Queensland economy.”

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