Queensland

If all planned renewable energy projects were to proceed, Queensland, Australia, would be in line for an AU$24 billion injection into the state’s economy and over 35,000 new jobs, shows a new Solar Citizens report.

As the debate heats up before Friday’s meeting between federal, state, territory and local government energy ministers in Australia, the Victoria authority has issued a last-minute call to redraft the proposed National Energy Guarantee, and the Australian Capital Territory has redefined its NEG approval condition with regard to the emissions target. Meanwhile, Australia’s energy bodies have taken separate paths.

Australia is set to quadruple its utility-scale PV capacity with 2 GW pipeline. The effects are now beginning to show. So far just 0.1 MW are fully operational, but by July this is going to change.

Commercial electricity retailer Flow Power has signed an offtake deal through to 2030 for a quarter of the production from the Kiamal Solar Farm, in Victoria. Total Eren – developer of the $90 million, 200 MW project – has now signed three bilateral PPAs with offtakers – pointing the way for project developers as large-scale solar’s competiveness continues to grow.

Risen Energy has revealed it has committed to investing CNY 10 billion (US$1.58 billion) in the expansion of its solar PV cell and module production operations in China since December.

RES Australia has announced financial close on the Emerald Solar Park, a 68 MW PV project to be located in the Central Highlands region of Queensland. The project is the first in Australia to be supported by a PPA with a corporate off-taker.

As part of the $2 billion affordable energy plan, the Queensland Government has announced it will invest $40 million in schemes to improve access to both solar energy and storage systems.

The tender was part of a raft of announcements, including confirmation of a commitment to source 50% of its electricity from renewables by 2030. Queensland currently lags behind the progress of other Australian regions in terms of renewable energy installed, but multiple projects have been announced.

British firm to invest AU$64 million to acquire assets being developed in Queensland by Canadian Solar.

The AUS$150 million agreement between the government-owned CS Energy and the Kennedy Energy Park marks yet another positive step for Australia as it seeks to tap the potential of all its renewable energy sources.