Conergy, one of the world’s largest downstream solar companies, will start construction this month on the first and largest utility-scale solar PV + battery storage project in the Asia Pacific according to Eco-Business.
The $42.5 million Lakeland Solar and Storage Project located near Lakeland in North Queensland, Australia will consist of a 13-megawatt solar array that features 41,440 solar panels and a 1.4 megawatt/5.3 megawatt-hour Conergy “CHESS” storage solution.
This full-scale commercial power plant has been designed to study and analyse different plant operating modes and exhibit grid-to-islanding functionality, the ability to consistently feed renewable energy into the grid and exhibit the capability of utility-scale solar + storage, paving the way for the future of solar baseload and the future of power supply and quality.
The schedule of the construction will begin later this month with instructing planned for the end of April 2017. Once the solar power plant is operational, it is expected to produce over 22,600 Megawatt-hour/year, which is equivalent to powering 3,000 homes night and day, while avoiding over 21,150 tonnes of carbon emissions.
The solar plant will be connected to Ergon Energy’s existing substation, which is one of the most remote National Electricity market linked substations in Australia. The project was acquired from a local developer in 2015 and finally developed, designed, engineered and brought to financial close to Conergy’s APAC development team. Conergy’s EPC team will lead the plant’s construction activities while the Asset Management team will take responsibility for all technical and commercial post-commissioning activities.
ARENA or the Australian Renewable Energy Agency extended a $17.4 million grant to the project. The German bank NORD/LB has also provided a 15-year non-recourse financing facility for the project, with Norton Rose Fulbright giving legal counsel to Conergy. BHP Billiton will join Conergy, ARENA, Ergon Energy and Origin Energy in the Knowledge Sharing Program.
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Featured Image Credit: Max D
Solar Trust Centre Team
