Elecnor is awarded the largest hybrid solar and battery project in Australia
The New England Solar Farm will have a power capacity of 720 MW and a 400 MW storage system.
The Spanish infrastructure, energy, services and telecommunications group Elecnor, through its subsidiary Elecnor Australia, has been awarded the turnkey EPC contract for the first phase of the New England Solar Farm solar hybrid project, which entails the start-up of 520 MW of the total 720 MW (peak power capacity). In parallel, the study of the initial 50 MWh of the potential 400 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) will be started. The solar complex will be located on the outskirts of the town of Uralla in New South Wales, Australia.
This is Australia's largest hybrid solar and battery project, and is funded by UPC\AC Australia, a joint venture between UPC Renewables and AC Energy, a subsidiary of Ayala Corporation in the Philippines. At the peak of its construction, it will generate up to 700 jobs.
Under the EPC, Elecnor will engineer and construct the solar plant, as well as a 33/330 kilovolt (kV) substation. Elecnor will also be responsible for operation and maintenance in the two years following start-up.
This is a sustainable project, using single-axis tracking technology that allows the solar panels to follow the course of the sun. The first phase of the project is expected to be completed in the next two years.
Elecnor in Australia
Elecnor began operations in Australia in 2014 and has since been involved in the construction of 4 solar plants with a combined power capacity of 372 MW, consolidating itself as a leading company in turnkey projects through EPC contracts. In parallel, the company is working to increase its involvement in power transmission projects.