Pacific Partnerships, a CIMIC Group company, has secured the developmental rights to their second large-scale solar project — the 300 megawatts defined conditions (MWdc) Hopeland Solar Farm.
The Hopeland Solar Farm Project is situated in the Darling Downs, 290 kilometres west of Brisbane, in the area designated by the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan as having outstanding solar resources.
Nearly 2.2 gigawatts (GW) of committed renewable energy projects are now under construction in the area, with the Southern Queensland Renewable Energy Zone (QREZ) setting a target of 11 GW of further renewable energy.
CIMIC Group Executive Chairman Juan Santamaria said the company is committed to developing the large-scale renewable generation assets and infrastructure required to support Queensland’s energy transition.
“Queensland is a strategic focus as we expand our diversified national portfolio of energy and utilities assets and contribute to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan for 70 per cent of electricity consumption to be sourced from renewables by 2032, and 80 per cent by 2035,” said Santamaria.
The development, investments, deliverables and operations will be handled by Pacific Partnerships Energy — Pacific Partnerships’ energy business.
Pacific Partnerships Managing Director Simon Nicholls stated that the development of the solar farm within the Southern QREZ will support Queensland’s energy transformation, deliver jobs, diversify the economy and lower emissions.
“The solar farm will have the potential to generate enough independent electricity to power approximately 100,000 average-sized homes in Queensland and its strategic location close to Western Downs sub-station makes it ideal for co-location of a potential 175 megawatts/350megawatt hour battery energy storage system (BESS),” said Nicholls.
The project was purchased from Renewable Energy Partners — a Brisbane-based company known for developing Australian large-scale renewable projects.
