PPA signed in one of Australia's most substantial renewable energy agreements

Neoen has signed a 352 MWp power purchase agreement with CleanCo Queensland in one of Australia's most substantial renewable energy agreements to date.

The contract will enable Neoen to build Australia's largest solar farm, the 460 to 480 MWp Western Downs Green Power Hub near Chinchilla in southeast Queensland, delivering clean energy into Powerlink Queensland's transmission network.

This is CleanCo Queensland’s second renewable energy offtake agreement since its establishment in December 2018, and it will contribute over 30% of the energy required for CleanCo Queensland to meet its target of 1 GW of new renewable generation by 2025.

Western Downs Green Power Hub will generate energy to power 235,000 Queensland homes, or enough to power every home on the Sunshine Coast.

The AUD570 million (US$366 million) investment by Neoen is expected to create up to 400 jobs for the local and South West Queensland area when construction begins in July 2020. The connection will be via the Western Downs substations via a new overhead line, with energy generation scheduled to start in the first quarter of 2022.

Louis de Sambucy, Neoen Australia’s Managing Director said, “We are excited to work in partnership with CleanCo with whom we share the same long-term vision. The electricity produced by Western Downs solar farm will complement CleanCo’s hydro energy production and it will be our first project in Queensland. We are fully committed to delivering this landmark deal by making the most of the region’s excellent solar resources, the use of the latest technology and our experience in delivering solar farms on time and on budget. We look forward to Western Downs becoming a lighthouse project in achieving excellent regional economic and local community outcomes that will be needed in the aftermath of Covid-19’s impact on the economy. This will also help the Queensland government work towards its ambitious target of 50% renewable energy by 2030.”