AGL’s soon to be operational Nyngan solar plant is poised to deliver more than half of Australia’s utility-scale solar photovoltaic capacity. In a report by Bloomberg on talks with First Solar, solar developer and PV panel manufacturer, the plant could potentially start delivering on that promise in the very near future.
The report added that the $290 million Nyngan solar project will start working at 25MW within a week, after which it is expected to become fully operational by the beginning of July.
The Asia-Pacific head of the company had also announced that the same month will see the culmination of the pioneering project.
Nyngan solar plant to be fully operational by July, 2015
“What was really constraining the large-scale solar market was the fact that it just hadn’t been done before, so there was a lot of misconception around the execution and cost challenges,” said Curtis. “It can only get more efficient.”
Bloomberg New Energy Finance also reported that the 4.1GW of the utility will most likely to be installed across the country in the coming years. Such developments will include another important partnership deal between AGL and First Solar, known as the 53MW Broken Hill solar farm. The partnership is slated to represent 85 times the current gigawatt amount.
PV-Tech also said Nyngan had received major funding in the amount of $166.7 million, the total amount of which came from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency. Another sizeable amount of $64.9 million in the form of energy funding was awarded by the NSW government.
Australia’s largest solar plant received over $230,000 in funding
AGL is slated to manufacture and operate two large-scale solar PV power plants that boast of a total combined capacity of 155 Megawatts. At Nyngan solar plant, 102 MW capacity will be produced, while 53 MW will be produced at Broken Hill in the regional New South Wales.
It is projected that on a yearly basis, the Nyngan solar plant and the Broken Hill solar plant will deliver a production of around 360,000 MW hours of electricity, a power quantity that’s expected to sufficiently meet the energy requirements of more than 50,000 typical homes at New South Wales.
Nyngan and Broken Hill solar plants expected to power 50,000 homes
The Nyngan solar plant is located on an agricultural land area approximately 10 kilometres west of the Nyngan Township. The site sprawls on an area that measures 250 hectares located just north of the Barrier Highway.
The Australia’s utility-scale solar project’s choice of Nyngan as its location is ideal as the township receives ample and continuous rays from the sun. Experts consider it to be one of the best locations for the sizeable project in Australia.
Residents give a 100% approval of the project since they are assured of being able to enjoy great benefits from the Nyngan solar plant. It is widely known that the region previously lacked in terms of electrical power supply, and so the solar plant may well be the answer.
