Total Eren starts construction of 256.5 MW solar project in Australia

Total Eren has announced the start of construction of the Kiamal Solar Farm, located in the state of Victoria, south-east  Australia. The 256.5 MWp solar power plant has already signed three Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with Mars Australia and two Victoria-based energy retailers: Flow Power and Alinta Energy.

The solar farm is located 3km north of Ouyen township in north-west Victoria, approximately 100km south of Mildura. Total Eren obtained planning consent for the project from the Mildura Rural City Council in September 2017.

The 256.5 MWp first stage of the plant will be made up of over 720,000 PV panels with single-axis trackers covering over 500 hectares. The commencement of construction ceremony was celebrated on 17 October 2018 in Melbourne, the state capital.

The project is expected to reach commercial operations in mid-2019. When completed, it will produce enough electricity to meet the needs of more than 133,500 Victorian homes and displacing more than 610,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

The construction will be led by a consortium jointly led by Biosar Australia, part of the Greek infrastructure group Aktor S.A., and Canadian Solar. Total Eren is working with TransGrid to deliver a new 220 kV Kiamal Terminal Station and Collector Substation, with transformers designed and manufactured locally by Wilsons Transformers in Victoria.

The Kiamal Solar Farm has committed to install a more than 100 MVAr synchronous condenser as part of the generating system in order to facilitate a timely connection to the Victorian Transmission System, in turn substantially strengthening the grid in the region and making it possible to connect even more renewables in NW Victoria.

Total Een is also seeking to expand Kiamal Solar Farm with a second stage of up to 194 MWp, as well as exploring commercial options for the approved 380 MWh of energy storage.